Bhubaneswar-bound Akasa Air flight QP1503 faced a full emergency "PAN PAN" alert from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) due to low fuel while en route from Bengaluru, officials told Arvind Chauhan from TOI on Wednesday.
The flight was then diverted to the Lucknow airport following bad weather conditions along the original route.
Bengaluru-Bhubaneshwar Akasa Air flight QP 1503, operating Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft (registration VT-YAJ) landed safely as the pilot-in-command sought priority clearance and requested a clear approach to ensure landing in a single attempt amid fuel constraints.
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The aircraft, carrying total of 194 passengers and crew on board, was diverted to Lucknow at around 8.40 pm on Wednesday amid adverse weather conditions in Bhubaneswar.
Soon at 9.02 pm, the ATC declared a full emergency following the pilot’s report of low fuel levels. Authorities immediately activated emergency response protocols, under which crash fire tenders were deployed and positioned at designated points along the runway in readiness for any contingency by 9:04 pm.
The Akasa aircraft landed safely on runway 09 at 9.21 pm. The pilot then informed the ATC that all operations were normal and no assistance was required. ATC withdrew the full emergency at 9.30 pm on confirmation of situation being under control.
"Akasa Air flight QP 1503 operating from Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar on 27 May 2026 was diverted to Lucknow due to adverse weather conditions, which were not favourable for landing. The pilot followed all established operational and safety protocols in line with standard procedures," the airline said in a statement. "The flight subsequently departed from Lucknow and landed safely in Bhubaneswar at 00:02 hrs on 28 May 2026."
Airport officials said that all standard safety and emergency procedures were followed, and the situation was handled efficiently without any incident.
Three passengers deboarded the aircraft in Lucknow. The flight was then expected to resume its journey to Bhubaneswar later in the night.
(With inputs from TOI)
