Goa-Delhi IndiGo flight returns to Mopa Airport after engine issue triggers emergency response

An IndiGo flight (6E 2102) travelling from Goa to Delhi returned to the Manohar International Airport (Mopa Airport) on Tuesday after it experienced an engine snag mid-air.

The technical error prompted a full emergency response, after which the aircraft was safely flown back to Mopa, where it landed without any incident.

All 229 passengers who were on board are safe. Alternative arrangements are being made for the passengers.

ANI cited sources within the airline to report that the the flight took off at around 9:28 am from the Mopa Airport and made an emergency landing at the same airport after reporting an engine snag.

"A technical issue was detected, shortly after takeoff on IndiGo flight 6E 2102 operating from North Goa to Delhi today. Following the standard operating procedure, the relevant authorities were informed, and the pilots turned back and landed the aircraft safely at Manohar International Airport. The aircraft is currently undergoing maintenance checks and will resume operations after securing all necessary clearances," an IndiGo spokesperson said.

The airline also asserted that the safety of its passengers, crew, and aircraft remained its top priority.

"The safety of our customers, crew, and aircraft remains our top priority at IndiGo," the spokesperson said.

Incident comes days after Delhi-Gorakhpur flight scare

The incident comes days after another IndiGo flight from Delhi to Gorakhpur carried out a precautionary go-around before landing safely.

Flight 6E 2381 was approaching Gorakhpur on 19 August when its crew decided that the initial landing has to be aborted, after which they performed a standard go-around as a safety precaution. Subsequently, the aircraft landed safely and all passengers could deboard the aircraft safely.

During a post-flight routine inspection, maintenance personnel noticed minor scratches near its Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) inlet at the tail section. After this the aircraft was grounded temporarily for detailed inspection as well as the required repairs.

Safety concerns hurt India's aviation boom

A series of crises at the two main carriers of India, namely Air India and IndiGo, have exposed safety and regulatory shortcomings in the third-largest aviation market in the world, as per a report by AFP.

The turmoil has been confounded due to geopolitical concerns that have squeezed their profits and forced the airlines to reassess their plans of expansion.

The setbacks these two are facing are also highlighting a lack of competition in India's aviation sector, which runs on an almost duopoly of IndiGo and Air India, with the former taking the lion's share when it comes to domestic aviation.

"The last two years, 2025 and 2026, have been the darkest years for India in terms of its global reputation and credibility," Mark Martin of Martin Consulting told AFP.

With agency inputs