Cyclone Fengal, which swept through the region in late November 2024, has raised serious concerns about the preparedness of Chennai airport and the proficiency of pilots in handling extreme weather conditions. On the night of November 29, an incident involving an Indigo Airlines flight highlighted significant issues with both airport standards and pilot handling of challenging conditions.
Indigo flight 6E 5048, arriving from Mumbai, faced difficulties while approaching Chennai airport around 8 p.m. The flight wobbled significantly and experienced a prolonged float over the runway for more than 4,000 feet before the pilot decided to abort the landing and make another approach. This incident, although dramatic, went largely unnoticed at the time due to the absence of video footage—being nighttime, no recordings surfaced on social media. However, the incident raised eyebrows in aviation circles regarding the airport’s ability to handle such challenging weather conditions.
The very next day, on November 30, another Indigo flight—6E 683—experienced an even more alarming event as it approached Chennai airport. This flight appeared completely out of control as it touched down briefly before the wing sharply dropped to the left. The pilot made an immediate go-around, climbing out of the potentially dangerous situation and eventually managed to land the aircraft safely on a second approach. A video of this incident soon went viral, showing the plane’s erratic behavior during the descent.
In the aftermath, Indigo issued a statement reassuring the public that its pilots are “extensively trained to handle such situations with utmost professionalism.” While the airline’s assurance was intended to calm passengers, the videos captured by fellow passengers and shared widely on social media painted a different picture, leading to concerns over the level of proficiency required to handle such emergencies. The fact that both incidents occurred in quick succession has only added fuel to the growing criticism of Chennai airport’s infrastructure and safety protocols during severe weather events.
Experts argue that these incidents expose systemic vulnerabilities in the Indian civil aviation sector, particularly in dealing with extreme weather conditions. Cyclone Fengal, which brought strong winds and heavy rains, tested the limits of airport infrastructure, particularly at Chennai, a major international hub. The ability of airports to manage extreme weather is crucial, and the incidents raise questions about the adequacy of current facilities, including runway conditions, lighting, and wind management systems.
On the other hand, concerns about pilot proficiency in extreme conditions also came to the forefront. While pilots are certainly trained to manage adverse weather, the question remains whether they are always given the appropriate tools, training, and support to make critical decisions under pressure. Flying in extreme conditions, such as those brought on by cyclones, requires split-second decision-making, and incidents like those involving the two Indigo flights suggest that improvements are necessary in both training and real-time support systems for pilots.
In light of these incidents, aviation experts have called for stricter guidelines and enhanced training programs to prepare pilots for handling extreme weather conditions more effectively. Additionally, airports like Chennai need to invest in better infrastructure, including more robust wind management systems and advanced weather tracking technologies, to ensure the safety of both passengers and crew during severe weather events.
While both flights ultimately landed safely, the events highlight the need for greater attention to pilot training, airport preparedness, and infrastructure upgrades in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Cyclone Fengal may have exposed the cracks in India’s aviation system, but it also serves as a catalyst for urgent reforms to strengthen the country’s aviation safety standards.