New Delhi: Recently on Tuesday night, August 11, an IndiGo flight has take off from Kolkata has reported that an “extremely serious technical problem” shortly before landing in Chennai. The plane had an serious issue with one engine, and after the pilot called air traffic control, it had to be taken out of service. Then a full-fledged emergency was called at Chennai airport.
The plane was full with 224 people, including passengers and crew. Although the engine issue was present, the flight was able to land safely at Runway 25 at approximately 11:37 pm. The call for an emergency was lifted soon as after the plane landed and there were no reports of injuries or casualties.
The airplane also was leaking oil, and the engine was failing, the reports said. The cause of failure has not yet been determined and further investigation will be useful to determine the cause of the failure.
Is IndiGo Becoming the Next Air India?
The incident has understandably left passengers in doubt regarding the airliner, just as in the past, Air India has been in the limelight as an organization concerning aircraft incident and operational problems and currently. But one incident shouldn’t be taken as an indication that IndiGo is going to become the next Air India.
In commercial aviation, even with the large and established airlines, engine failure, technical difficulties can occur. Modern passengers aircraft are also engineered to be able to fly and land even if one engine fails. It’s much more important when and how these occur and if the airline and aviation authorities take appropriate action.
Past incidents with IndiGo have been related to engine or technical issues. For instance, in March 2026, an IndiGo plane from Visakhapatnam emergency landed safely after an engine was suspected to have failed during the flight journey to Delhi. Another such type of incident in 2025 saw the temporary shut down of an IndiGo ATR during a heavy rain, which resulted in a safe landing.
Obviously, these incidents do not indicate a big safety issue with IndiGo. But if there is a recurrence of technical problems, it should not be passed over. It is important that regulators and the airline review if there are common problems with the maintenance, engine, operation or fleet.
What Happens Next?
The major issue now is to trace where the real culprit was in the case of the Chennai incident. This will require investigators to determine the aircraft, engine and maintenance records and other technical data.
The safe landing of all 224 people is most important for the passengers. IndiGo, meanwhile, has to keep its safety level up as it serves as one of India’s largest airline networks.
Then, is IndiGo heading towards becoming the next Air India? It is not based only on this incident. However, if the issue persists with similar aircraft issues, this may lead to larger issues with aircraft maintenance, aircraft reliability and operational safety. While seeking the cause, and preventing reoccurrence of such issues is the main priority for now.
