Mid-air scare: 1-hour Fly91 flight stays airborne for 4 hours

A mid-air scare triggered panic among passengers after a Fly91 flight bound for Hubballi remained airborne for nearly four hours due to adverse weather conditions, even as some media reports suggested a technical fault.

The Fly91 flight IC3401 from Hyderabad, which took off around 3.30 pm on Sunday (April 19), was eventually diverted to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru for an emergency landing. Airport officials said all 22 passengers on board were safe. The flight was originally scheduled to land in Hubballi by 4.30 pm.

Panic grips passengers

Videos that went viral on social media showed distressed passengers crying and praying as the situation unfolded. Shouts of “Oh my God” could be heard in the video, capturing the fear inside the aircraft.

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Passengers grew increasingly anxious as the ATR aircraft circled over regions including Mundgod, Davanagere and Shivamogga while the crew attempted to manage the situation and wait for weather conditions to improve.

An airport official said the diversion was due to bad weather, calling it a standard safety measure. The flight landed in Bengaluru at around 6.30 pm and later departed for Hubballi at about 11 pm after conditions improved.

Standard protocol

According to officials, the aircraft had initially hovered over Hubballi for about an hour in the hope of landing before being diverted. “This is general practice. Aircraft circle in the air for some time, waiting for the weather to improve. It is the pilot’s decision,” the official said.

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Amid rising panic, the pilot was heard assuring passengers, saying, “We are holding. We will keep you updated. Have patience and kindly follow instructions.” Some passengers were also heard urging the pilot to return to Bengaluru.

On the ground, family members expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the airline during the incident.

‘Not a technical issue’

In a statement, Fly91 said there was no compromise on safety and that holding the aircraft and diverting it to Bengaluru were part of standard operating procedures followed across the industry.

Dismissing reports of a technical issue, the airline said such claims were “false and baseless.” It added that its pilots, cabin crew and ground staff are trained to handle challenging situations and that the airline maintains a strong safety record.

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The flight later resumed its journey to Hubballi and subsequently returned to its base in Hyderabad, the airline said.

Other incidents

Officials noted that weather-related disruptions were reported elsewhere in the region as well, with another flight from Mumbai to Kolhapur diverted to Goa.

Recently, an Air India Mumbai-Bengaluru flight returned to Mumbai shortly after takeoff after an engine stall mid-air. Passengers were reported seeing sparks from the engine and hearing a loud noise during the climb.