A mid-air crack on the windshield of an Air India Bhubaneshwar-Delhi flight with 169 passengers on board forced the pilots of the Airbus to make an emergency landing at the Lucknow airport, officials said.
Airport officials described the pilots’ decision as “wise” and said it would have been risky to fly with a cracked windshield.
The pilots contacted air traffic control at Lucknow at around 11.54 am when it was over Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh and sought permission for landing at the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport, airport director Suresh Chandra Hota said.
“The pilot handled the situation cleverly and contacted ATC …The passengers were directed to stay calm as things were under control…Airport authorities granted permission for landing in full emergency condition,” he added. The aircraft landed safely at around 12.37 pm.
Air India sources said that crack developed mid-air as the aircraft underwent thorough inspection before take-off.
The Airbus-321, which was operating with six crew members, is undergoing repairs, officials added.
Stranded passengers have been accommodated in different hotels and would be flown to their respective destinations on other flights later, the officials added.