SpiceJet flight returns to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport within 10 minutes of take-off due to technical snag

Hyderabad: A SpiceJet aircraft flying from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) to Renigunta was forced to return to RGIA soon after departure due to a technical issue. The Q400 aircraft with 80 passengers returned to RGIA in just 10 minutes.According to SpiceJet, the Q400 aircraft experienced an intermittent illumination of the AFT baggage door light after take-off. Cabin pressurisation remained normal throughout. As a precautionary measure, the pilots decided to return to Hyderabad. Intermittent illumination refers to the flashing lights used for visibility and safety, especially during take-off, landing and in low-visibility conditions.

These lights are crucial for collision avoidance and ensuring other aircraft and ground personnel are aware of the plane's presence and status.“The aircraft landed safely and passengers were deplaned normally. An alternate aircraft was arranged to operate the onward journey to Tirupati,” said a statement from SpiceJet.In the past, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had directed SpiceJet to take up stringent checks on the entire Q400 fleet consisting of 14 operational aircraft.

In 2022, the cabin of SpiceJet flight SG 3735 operating a Q400 aircraft filled with smoke, and the airline made an emergency landing at Hyderabad airport. The flight was carrying 86 passengers, and all of them were evacuated safely. Earlier, in the same year, SpiceJet had faced intermitted illumination when its flight SG 1006 carrying 72 passengers from Nashik to Hyderabad returned within 20 minutes of departure due to a technical snag.

In July, 2022, DGCA had directed SpiceJet to operate at a maximum of 50% capacity of its flights. It had also placed SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance due to deficiencies in the airline’s engineering facilities, which was later removed in 2024.Following the Air India aircraft crash in Ahmedabad, there have been multiple cancellations and diversions across different routes by airlines owing to technical issues and safety concerns.On Sunday, RGIA had received a bomb threat email targeting Lufthansa flight LH 752. A bomb threat assessment committee was formed, and all procedures were followed as per SOP. This flight arrived with a delay of almost 20 hours in Hyderabad.