Collision at Bay 51
On the evening of April 7, a catering vehicle unexpectedly made contact with a stationary IndiGo aircraft at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International
Airport in Kolkata. The incident occurred while the plane was parked at Bay No. 51. Reports indicate that the catering truck, reportedly while beginning its operation, suddenly accelerated forward and inadvertently impacted the engine area of the parked IndiGo aircraft. While the aircraft sustained superficial damage, crucially, no passengers or ground staff were injured as a result of this unfortunate mishap. The airline later confirmed the contact was with a "third-party unmanned vehicle on the apron."
Operational Adjustments
Following the collision, the IndiGo aircraft was immediately taken out of service for a thorough inspection and necessary maintenance procedures. This grounding meant that the planned flight from Kolkata to Guwahati, designated as flight 6E 6663, could not operate as scheduled. To ensure passengers were not unduly inconvenienced, IndiGo promptly arranged for an alternative aircraft to operate the route. The airline emphasized that the safety and smooth travel experience of its passengers remain its utmost priority and assured that they were actively monitoring the situation and working closely with aviation authorities to investigate the cause of the incident. The grounded aircraft will only resume operations once it has passed all safety checks.
Previous Airport Incident
This event at Kolkata Airport is not the first notable aviation incident in recent times. In February, a Turkish Airlines flight encountered a serious issue shortly after departing from Kathmandu. The flight, carrying 236 individuals including 225 passengers and 11 crew members, declared a full emergency landing at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport due to a reported fire in its right engine. Thankfully, all aboard disembarked safely without any reported injuries. The aircraft, identified as THY-727, was subsequently grounded in Kolkata for a comprehensive technical examination to determine the root cause of the engine malfunction.
