Amid dense fog India Express flight forced to return twice after taking 28 loops over Lucknow Airport
Air India Express flight from Delhi to Lucknow was forced to return to the national capital city on two separate occasions due to dense fog.
Lucknow: An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Lucknow was forced to return to the national capital city on two separate occasions due to dense fog and extremely poor visibility at Lucknow Airport. Flight IX2171, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, faced disruptions on January 2 and January 4, highlighting the challenges of winter operations in the region.
On January 4, the flight departed Delhi at 5.51 AM and reached Lucknow at 6.42 AM. With runway visibility at just 125 metres well below the minimum required for safe landing the pilot held the aircraft in a circular pattern above the airport for 78 minutes, hoping the fog would lift. When conditions did not improve, the flight was forced to return to Delhi, landing at 8.55 AM.
A similar scenario was seen on January 2, when the same flight left Delhi at 5.24 AM and reached Lucknow around 6.15 AM. It circled the airport 17 times over 90 minutes before returning to Delhi, landing at 8.56 AM.
Over the two days, the flight made 28 loops over Lucknow Airport, spending nearly three hours in the air. Authorities cited dense fog as the reason for the diversions, underscoring the impact of winter weather on flight schedules and passenger operations.
