New Delhi, February 24: A SpiceJet flight carrying around 150 passengers was forced to return to Delhi shortly after take-off on Tuesday following an engine malfunction, sources said.
Flight SG121 had departed from Indira Gandhi International Airport en route to Leh when the crew detected a technical issue in one of the aircraft’s engines. As a precautionary measure, the pilots decided to turn back to Delhi.
An emergency was declared at the airport to facilitate a priority landing and ensure that medical and fire services were on standby. The aircraft, a Boeing 737, landed safely, and all passengers were disembarked without incident.
In a statement, the airline confirmed that the Delhi-Leh flight returned to the national capital after experiencing a technical snag. “The aircraft landed safely in Delhi, and passengers were disembarked normally,” the spokesperson said, adding that detailed inspections would be conducted by maintenance teams.
Airline Plans Fleet Expansion
Meanwhile, SpiceJet recently announced plans to expand its fleet to around 60 aircraft. The expansion strategy includes a combination of wet and damp leases, along with the phased reintroduction of grounded aircraft.
According to the airline, its domestic market share rose to 4.3 per cent in December from 1.9 per cent in September last year, supported by a 56 per cent increase in capacity during the December quarter. The carrier is aiming to more than double its capacity to 220 crore Available Seat Kilometres by Winter 2026.
