Flight with Gadkari on board cancelled in Nagpur after snag

The flight, carrying 168 passengers on board, was to take off from Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport to Delhi around 7.50am. However, while the Airbus A320 was on the taxiway, the pilot detected a technical error and it returned to the parking bay around 7.30am.

The take-off of a Delhi-bound Indigo flight from Nagpur 6E-636, with Union minister Nitin Gadkari on board, was cancelled on Friday morning owing to a technical glitch, when the aircraft was taxiing to the runway.

New Delhi, India- July 16, 2019: Minister for Road Transport & Highways of India and Shipping Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari arrives during the Budget Session at Parliament complex in New Delhi, India on Tuesday, July 16, 2019. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/ Hindustan Times) (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

After a six-hour wait, most fliers were accommodated on an another flight around 1.45pm.

The flight, carrying 168 passengers on board, was to take off from Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport to Delhi around 7.50am. However, while the Airbus A320 was on the taxiway, the pilot detected a technical error and it returned to the parking bay around 7.30am.

“There were no defects reported and the flight was cleared to fly to Delhi. However, while starting its engine at Nagpur, the pilot observed a momentary caution message and the aircraft returned to the bay for requisite checks,” said an airline spokesperson.

“The caution message reappeared during ground checks so the aircraft was withdrawn from service. It is currently under maintenance at Nagpur,” he said.

Clarifying further, he said: “The aircraft was not involved in an aborted take-off. A caution had appeared and so appropriate operating procedures were followed.”

Consequently, Gadkari missed a Cabinet meeting that was scheduled to take place on Tuesday morning in Delhi. He did not prefer waiting for the alternative arrangement being made by the airline, as he would not have anyway reached in time.

Gadkari will now take flight on Wednesday morning, his office staff said.