The flight 6E6715, initially scheduled to leave Mumbai at 8:20 pm, took off over an hour late, around 9:39 pm. The severe lack of visibility caused by the fog compelled the pilots to return to Mumbai for safety reasons.
At 2:19 am, the aircraft landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, leaving more than 180 passengers in the air for approximately 4.48 hours, as reported by The Times of India.
Passengers encountered a perplexing and extended night without clear communication about the situation. Among them was chartered accountant Rachit Goyal, who noted that despite passengers informing airline staff of the foggy conditions in Chandigarh prior to takeoff, the flight proceeded late and subsequently turned back, prolonging their travel experience.
Upon landing back in Mumbai, confusion and frustration erupted among passengers regarding the decision to circle and return. Many expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of updates during and after the flight.
Due to the delay and diversion, several passengers missed their connecting flights and were compelled to quickly make alternative travel arrangements.
IndiGo arranged for passengers to continue their journey to Delhi on separate flights at no additional cost to alleviate the inconvenience. However, many had to cover their own transportation from Delhi to Chandigarh, frequently opting for road taxis. One passenger, Manuj Sharma, reported departing Mumbai at 7:05 am and arriving in Delhi around 9 am.
This incident followed ongoing dense fog across northern India, which significantly disrupted air travel. As visibility continued to be compromised at various airports, numerous flights to and from major cities, such as Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, and Hyderabad, faced delays, cancellations, and diversions.
Fog continued to disrupt operations on Tuesday morning. IndiGo flights arriving from Bengaluru and Abu Dhabi were required to circle the airport for an extended period before receiving clearance to land.
