Bad Weather Forces Delhi-Lucknow IndiGo Flight to Divert to Ayodhya

Brief By Newsbrief / 5:35 PM on 08 Jul 2026

Severe weather conditions disrupted flight operations in Lucknow on Wednesday after heavy rainfall and poor visibility forced an IndiGo flight from Delhi to be diverted to Ayodhya. Flight 6E 5206, carrying 152 passengers and six crew members, was scheduled to land at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at around 3:20 PM. However, deteriorating weather conditions prevented the aircraft from making a safe landing. The diversion marked one of the rare instances in recent times when a flight bound for Lucknow had to be rerouted because of bad weather.

As intense rain lashed the city, visibility around the airport dropped significantly, making landing operations unsafe. Keeping passenger safety as the top priority, Air Traffic Control (ATC) did not grant landing clearance to the aircraft. Following standard aviation safety protocols, the pilot decided to divert the flight to the nearest suitable airport in Ayodhya, where the aircraft landed safely. Although the sudden change caused inconvenience and delays for passengers, all those on board remained safe.

Aviation experts said flight diversions during adverse weather are a routine safety measure and are taken only when landing conditions fail to meet operational requirements. Once weather conditions improve, airlines coordinate with airport authorities to resume normal operations and transport passengers to their intended destination. Wednesday's heavy rainfall not only affected air traffic but also disrupted normal life in several parts of Lucknow, with waterlogging and traffic congestion reported across the city.