New Delhi – An IndiGo Airbus A320neo was forced to make an emergency landing on Wednesday after the crew reported an engine failure shortly after takeoff. The flight, operating as 6E-752, was en route from Mumbai to Bengaluru when it experienced a technical anomaly linked to one of its Pratt & Whitney engines.
According to initial reports, the aircraft took off from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at around 09:35 IST. Within minutes, the pilots alerted air traffic control to a suspected engine issue and requested priority return. The aircraft safely landed back in Mumbai at approximately 10:10 IST.
Passengers on board described the takeoff as uneventful but said they noticed unusual sounds from the engine before the captain announced a technical issue and the return to Mumbai.
“There was a loud noise and some vibration. Soon after, the captain informed us that one of the engines had a problem and we’d be landing back,” said one passenger via social media.
IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, confirmed the incident in a statement, citing a “precautionary engine shutdown” due to an alert from the onboard monitoring system. “The aircraft returned as a standard operating procedure. At no point was passenger safety compromised,” the statement read. All passengers were accommodated on a subsequent flight.
This is not the first time Pratt & Whitney’s PW1100G engines, used on Airbus A320neo aircraft, have come under scrutiny. Airlines globally have reported performance and durability issues in recent years, prompting enhanced inspections and engine replacements.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe into the incident, and the engine involved will undergo thorough inspection.
Aviation experts say while modern commercial jets are designed to fly safely on a single engine, any engine abnormality is treated with utmost caution. “These types of diversions are precautionary and standard, especially when dealing with high-bypass turbofan engines known to have prior reliability concerns,” said aviation analyst Kapil Sinha.
As of now, there have been no reports of injury or structural damage. The aircraft is expected to remain grounded until engine diagnostics are completed.
