BENGALURU, Nov 27: A Patna-bound GoFirst flight made an emergency landing at
Nagpur airport on Saturday morning following an engine glitch. The flight (formerly
GoAir) G8-873 was coming from Bengaluru with 139 passengers on board. It made a safe
landing at the Nagpur airport at 11.15 am. All passengers were reported safe.
The pilot informed the Nagpur ATC about the snag and sought permission for
the emergency landing. The airport thereupon made all requisite arrangements
like clearing the runways, readying fire tenders, doctors and ambulances. (According to a TOI report, engine No 2 had caught fire)
In a statement, a spokesperson for GoFirst said that the plane was diverted
to Nagpur due to a faulty engine warning in the cockpit. It “necessitated the
captain to shut down the engine as a precautionary measure. Thereafter the captain
followed the standard operating procedures and landed safely at Nagpur airport,”
the statement said.
An alternative aircraft was arranged and the the passengers were to resume
journey for Patna at 4.45 pm.
“At GoFirst, safety of its passengers and crew is of paramount importance and
the airline sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused to the passengers,” the
statement added.
The airline's website says: "With one of the youngest fleets in the world made
up entirely of 57 state-of-the-art Airbus A320 aircraft, Go First flies to 31
domestic and 10 international destinations with over 200 flights daily. Bringing in
the innovative space-flex configuration coupled with aerodynamic
improvements, the environmentally friendly A320neo aircraft help reduce fuel
burn and emissions whilst offering enhanced passenger comfort."