An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Imphal in Manipur was forced to return to the national capital shortly after take-off Thursday due to a minor technical issue, the airline said in a statement.
Flight 6E 5118, which departed Delhi at 10.34 am against its scheduled departure time of 10.25 am, was diverted, and landed safely at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
“A minor technical snag was detected soon after take-off on flight 6E 5118 operating from Delhi to Imphal on 17 July 2025. As a precautionary step, the pilots decided to turn back and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
The airline added that, in accordance with standard operating procedures, the aircraft underwent necessary checks before it was cleared for operation. “The inconvenience caused to our customers is regretted. As always, safety and security of the customers, crew and aircraft is of utmost importance to us,” the statement read.
According to the live flight tracking website Flightradar24, the plane, which was bound for Imphal with a scheduled arrival time of 1.10 pm, is an Airbus A321neo aircraft.
According to flight tracking data, the aircraft did not reach its intended destination, and was officially marked as “Diverted to DEL” on Flightradar24.
The development comes amid a slew of cancellations and disruptions experienced by airlines in the aftermath of the deadly crash of Air India’s London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad.
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In June, an Air India flight bound for Delhi had to return to Hong Kong due to a technical issue. The aircraft, AI315, was a Boeing 788. On the same day, an Air India Express flight bound for Ranchi returned to Delhi airport owing to a suspected technical issue.
In the same month, an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi returned to the Thai city, and made a precautionary landing after receiving a bomb threat.