Swift Response: Saudia Airlines' Engineered Safety Success

A Saudia Airlines flight carrying 284 passengers from Jeddah encountered smoke and sparks upon landing at Lucknow Airport. The incident, reported on the morning of June 15, was swiftly managed, with the airport's Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) unit promptly extinguishing the smoke within 20 minutes.

The flight was returning with Hajj pilgrims. Despite the scare, authorities confirmed no injuries occurred, and the passengers disembarked safely. Airport officials ensured that operations remained unaffected by the incident, which was handled with remarkable efficiency.

This year, Hajj was observed from June 4 to June 9. Over 1,22,518 Indian pilgrims, as reported by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, made this important journey, with Lucknow serving as one of the departure points. The response to the incident highlighted effective coordination between the airport and airline teams.

(With inputs from agencies.)