Bengaluru Receives IndiGo Flight After Mayday Call
The Mayday call is a critical component of aviation safety, and its use is strictly regulated to ensure that it is only used in genuine emergencies, such as the recent incident involving an IndiGo flight that was diverted to Bengaluru due to air traffic congestion, and the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 270 people.
An IndiGo flight from Guwahati to Chennai was diverted to Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport due to congestion at the Chennai airport, prompting the pilot to sound a 'mayday' alert citing insufficient fuel, and landed safely at 8:15 pm on June 19 with 168 passengers on board.
The incident occurred just days after an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 270 people, and highlights the importance of air traffic control and emergency procedures in the aviation industry. The Mayday call, an international distress signal used by pilots to indicate a life-threatening emergency onboard a plane, was issued by the pilot of the IndiGo flight after being forced to divert due to air traffic congestion.
A Mayday call is a serious signal that triggers an immediate response from air traffic control and emergency services, and is used for emergencies such as system failures, onboard fires, or imminent crashes. The term "Mayday" originates from the French phrase "m'aider," meaning "help me," and was first proposed in the 1920s as a signal that could be easily understood by both English and French-speaking pilots and controllers.
In this incident, both pilots of the IndiGo flight were de-rostered, and an investigation is likely to be conducted to determine the cause of the diversion and the subsequent Mayday call. The use of Mayday calls is governed by strict global protocols, and misuse of the call is a criminal offence in many countries.
The safe landing of the IndiGo flight in Bengaluru is a testament to the effectiveness of emergency procedures in the aviation industry, and highlights the importance of vigilance and quick decision-making by pilots and air traffic control in preventing accidents and ensuring the safety of passengers.