Diwali cracker smoke: Chennai-bound IndiGo flight from Raipur diverted to Bengaluru

An IndiGo flight from Raipur to Chennai was diverted to Bengaluru on Sunday night due to smoke-related poor visibility caused by Diwali firecrackers, according to reports aggregated by The Times of India. The aircraft involved was IndiGo 6E2002, which was carrying 78 passengers on the Raipur→Chennai routing when the diversion decision was taken.

The flight was originally scheduled to land at Chennai’s airport at about 10:45 pm, but the pilot diverted to Bengaluru at 11:15 pm after determining that the runway visibility did not meet the minimum requirement for a safe landing. Chennai airport officials stated that the prevailing visibility in the area at that time was around 900 metres, which was below the required runway visual range of 950 metres for landing on runway 07.

After the diversion, the aircraft subsequently returned to Chennai and landed at 1:54 am, according to the same reporting. Airport authorities characterized the diversion as a precautionary measure taken by the pilot in response to the degraded visibility conditions caused by the Diwali-related smoke.

DT Next provided additional context on the broader impact of the smoky conditions at Chennai airport that night, noting that a total of 26 flights were affected. They reported that 11 arriving flights were delayed and 15 departing flights were delayed or late, with runway visibility being the critical factor monitored by air traffic control officials.

ATC and airport operations monitored the dense smoke blanket enveloping the runway area, with the Airports Authority of India preparing for possible visibility issues and keeping aircraft movements under close observation. Landings and takeoffs were allowed only when the runway was clearly visible, according to DT Next’s account.

DT Next’s reporting specifies that the IndiGo Raipur-Chennai flight, which carried 156 passengers (a discrepancy with the 78 reported by The Times of India for the Raipur→Chennai leg), could not land in Chennai and was diverted back to Bengaluru after hovering near the airport. The diversion contributed to passenger disruption amid the smoky conditions on that night, with the broader operations impacted on both arrivals and departures.

On the departure side, DT Next documented 15 flights awaiting delays to destinations including Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi, Pune, Tiruchy, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi, reflecting the wider effect of reduced visibility on Chennai airport operations during the incident.

NDTV contributed reporting that an IndiGo flight departing Bengaluru was forced to return to its origin after a note implying a hijack was found in a toilet, triggering an emergency response. The aircraft landed safely back at Bengaluru airport, and officials conducted a precautionary check. The material provided does not include details on injuries, the fate of passengers or crew, or the exact flight number or route for that Bengaluru incident.

In the NDTV account, there is no available information about the specific flight number, destination beyond Bengaluru, or the time of the event, and no details about the cause or content of the note beyond its implied threat. The material confirms only that an IndiGo aircraft in Bengaluru returned to base following discovery of the note and that no further outcomes or investigations are described within the supplied material.

Taken together, the reporting from The Times of India and DT Next documents a Diwali-related smoke disruption impacting Chennai airport operations, with the Raipur-to-Chennai IndiGo flight diverted to Bengaluru and later returned to Chennai. The broader disruption affected multiple arrivals and departures as runway visibility remained below safe thresholds, and residents near Meenambakkam airport reported continued cracker use contributing to air-quality and visibility challenges.