A full emergency was declared at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday morning after an IndiGo flight operating from Visakhapatnam to the national capital reported a mid-air engine failure.

According to initial information, IndiGo flight 6E 579, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft carrying 161 persons on board, developed a problem in one of its engines during the flight. The emergency was declared at 10:39 am as the aircraft approached Delhi.

The flight had sufficient fuel on board, with an estimated endurance of over six hours, and was guided for landing on Runway 28. It touched down safely at 10:54 am.

Airport sources said all standard emergency protocols were activated, with rescue and firefighting teams positioned on standby as a precaution. No dangerous goods were reported to be on board.

In a statement, an IndiGo spokesperson said: “A technical snag was detected shortly before landing on IndiGo flight 6E 579 operating from Visakhapatnam to Delhi on 28 March 2026. As a precautionary step and in accordance with the standard operating procedure, the pilots requested for priority landing and the aircraft arrived safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.”

“All relevant authorities were promptly informed and the aircraft is undergoing necessary checks and maintenance. At IndiGo, the safety of our customers and crew is our top priority,” the official said.

After landing, passengers were assisted by the airline staff along with the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) terminal operations team. No injuries were reported.

The incident comes amid heightened focus on aviation safety, with regulators closely monitoring operational protocols and in-flight emergencies.