Chennai, India – Indian aviation faced a turbulent day on Wednesday, August 12, with two significant incidents drawing scrutiny. Chennai airport declared a full emergency after an IndiGo flight experienced an engine failure, while reports confirmed that the pilot of an Air India flight involved in a sudden altitude drop last week tested positive for marijuana.
Late Tuesday night, Chennai airport activated full emergency protocols after an IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Chennai reported an engine failure. The pilot of the aircraft, carrying 224 people, noticed the left engine had failed as the plane prepared for landing, according to Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials. Emergency response measures were initiated and remained active until the plane landed safely, after which the full emergency declaration was withdrawn.
This incident occurred just hours after news broke regarding the Air India pilot. The captain of an Air India Airbus A320neo, which was flying from Phuket to Delhi last week, tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test. The flight, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, lost approximately 300 feet of altitude over Odisha before the crew managed to stabilize the aircraft and land safely in Delhi. The incident, which injured 13 passengers and four crew members, has been classified as serious by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. India’s aviation ministry subsequently summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
These events contribute to ongoing concerns about the state of Indian aviation, further amplified by recent reports that quick-commerce firms Zepto and Blinkit are under investigation for “serious food safety and hygiene violations,” raising questions about the condition of delivered goods.
