An IndiGo Airbus A320neo was involved in an incident that happened at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) early on Sunday. Because of poor visibility, the aircraft missed its authorized taxiway exit upon landing, blocking the main runway for around fifteen minutes and interfering with DEL's flight operations.
The aircraft, registered VT-IZN and designated as an IndiGo Airbus A320-271neo, was carrying out flight 6E2221 from Delhi Airport (DEL) to Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport (ATQ) in Amritsar. At 08:35 (local time), the A320neo touched down on runway 28/10 in Delhi. Because of low visibility, it was unable to find the designated taxiway for departure. As a result, it stopped at the end of the runway.
Thankfully, there were no reported injuries. To safely tow the aircraft to the assigned gate location, however, technical help was required due to the aircraft's obstruction of the main runway. Images of the Airbus A320neo obstructing runway 28/10 at DEL airport have been making the rounds on social media. A representative for IndiGo told Simple Flying,
Low visibility caused IndiGo aircraft 6E 2221 from Amritsar to Delhi to miss the exit taxiway upon arrival at the airport. At the end of the runway, the aircraft came to a stop, and a tug pulled it to the parking bay. IndiGo regrets any inconvenience it may have caused to passengers and places the utmost priority on operational safety."
The Economic Times writes that the IndiGo plane interfered with runway operations for fifteen minutes, temporarily stopping arrivals and departures until it was taken away. The aircraft in question was a five-year-old Airbus A320-271neo that had a 3-3 cabin arrangement with all economy class seating for 186 passengers, with each seat having 30 inches of pitch and 18 inches of width.
The A320 VT-IZN, which is powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW1127G engines, made its first flight on December 7, 2018, and it was delivered to IndiGo Airlines on December 17, 2018, after which it has been in service with the airline ever since.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in Delhi has had a number of noteworthy incidents and difficulties recently, this instance adding to the list:
1. Two weeks before, there had been a serious security breach when a man climbed the tall perimeter wall of the airport late at night.
2. In addition, the previous weeks have seen significant disruptions to flights due to fog. The airport has issued several advisories regarding fog-induced delays since December, highlighting the vital role that visibility plays in guaranteeing aviation safety.
3. There have been incidents of passenger discontent as a result of these delays, including as the event in mid-January when a passenger physically attacked an IndiGo pilot following a delay to Goa, and another incident in which passengers refused to get off the aircraft after their Goa-Delhi flight was rerouted to Mumbai.
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