IndiGo Flight Struck By Lightning At Kolkata Airport; 141 Passengers Safely Deboarded

An IndiGo flight was struck by lightning while parked at Kolkata airport during a thunderstorm in the city. Passengers seated on the aircraft were safely deboarded and later flown to Agartala on another aircraft. Fortunately, everyone on board was reported safe. Here’s more on this. 

IndiGo Flight Hit By Lightning At Kolkata Airport 

According to India Today, the incident took place amid bad weather and heavy rain in Kolkata. IndiGo flight 6E6068 (VT-IPW), which was struck by lightning at around 9:30 am on June 19, was scheduled to fly from Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport to Agartala. The aircraft was parked at aerobridge 56L.

Reportedly, the lightning affected the aircraft’s power system, causing a sudden power outage inside the cabin. There were 141 passengers and six crew members on board when the lightning struck. As a precautionary measure, the airline staff safely deboarded all passengers. They were later flown to their destination on another aircraft. Notably, modern planes are designed to withstand lightning strikes. But sometimes, such incidents can cause surface damage and affect systems. 

Also Read: Can Airlines Deduct Flight Cancellation Fee? Passenger Claims ₹40,000 Deduction For Cancelled IndiGo Flight

Two Ground Staff Slightly Affected

The IndiGo Kolkata-Agartala flight was originally scheduled to depart at 9:20 am. However, it finally took off at 12:50 pm with passengers on board. While everyone was reported safe, two ground staff members were slightly affected. According to India Today, they were taken to a hospital and discharged after a medical check-up.

Kolkata has been experiencing thunderstorms and rain since the morning of June 19. IndiGo also issued a travel advisory and said it was closely monitoring the weather conditions. Passengers were requested to stay updated on their flight status through the airline’s website and app. The rains have not only impacted flight operations but have also caused waterlogging and traffic disruptions across the city.

Also Read: IndiGo Flight Attendant Helps Passenger Fix Broken Glasses Mid-Air On Kolkata-Hyderabad Flight

Thankfully, everyone was reported safe. We advise passengers travelling from Kolkata to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

Cover Image Courtesy: IndiGo, Wikipedia/ BriYYZ (Representative Image)