London-Bound Virgin Atlantic Flight Makes Emergency Landing at Bengaluru Airport After Technical Snag

September 6, 2026

Bengaluru: A London-bound Virgin Atlantic flight carrying 270 passengers made an emergency landing at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Sunday after developing a technical glitch shortly after takeoff, officials said.

According to Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the flight took off from Bengaluru airport at around 8:20 am but developed a technical problem that prompted the crew to return to the airport as a safety precaution.

The aircraft reportedly circled near Tumakuru for more than 30 minutes before returning to Bengaluru and making the emergency landing. BIAL said that all passengers on board were safe.

Flight returns to Bengaluru after technical problem

The nature of the technical issue has not been disclosed by airport authorities. Following the incident, authorities launched a probe to determine what caused the problem.

BIAL said the emergency landing was carried out as a precautionary measure and confirmed that all passengers were safe.

Virgin Atlantic has not issued a statement on the incident so far.

Air India Express flight makes precautionary landing in Lucknow

The Bengaluru incident comes days after an Air India Express flight from Varanasi to Delhi made a precautionary landing at Lucknow airport following a smoke detection alarm in the aircraft’s cargo hold.

The incident took place on Thursday when flight IX 1253, carrying 155 passengers, took off from Varanasi at around 8 am. A smoke detection alarm prompted the crew to divert the aircraft to Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, where it landed safely at around 8:52 am.

Fire brigade personnel and technical experts inspected the aircraft after landing, but no signs of smoke or fire were found during preliminary checks.

The passengers and crew were deboarded at around 9:02 am. Air India Express said the crew, prioritising passenger safety, opted for the precautionary diversion after a technical issue was detected.

The airline arranged an alternative aircraft to take the passengers to Delhi and said an investigation was launched into the smoke detection alarm.