Why IndiGo’s Delhi-Jeddah flight made an emergency landing at Karachi Airport on December 13

With Over 150 passengers onboard IndiGo’s flight 6E63 flying from Delhi to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had to reschedule on December 13 as the flight had to change course midway and land at Pakistan’s Karachi Airport due to a medical emergency.

The aircraft, which departed from New Delhi, was in Pakistani airspace when a male passenger fell seriously ill, according to sources from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The flight that departed from Delhi at 9:15 PM was scheduled to land in Jeddah at 12:25 AM. However, the aircraft landed at Karachi at 11:45 PM due to a medical emergency on board where upon landing the passenger was given necessary medical help.

“The captain diverted the flight to Karachi, where a doctor attended to the passenger upon arrival,” IndiGo said in a statement.

The aircraft with all the passengers then returned to Delhi at 4 AM and then finally took off for its destination at 5:47 AM and reached its destination at 8:47 AM, after a delay of almost 9 hours.

“After completing the necessary formalities, the flight departed Karachi and returned to its origin to provide further assistance to the medical passenger. The flight then departed for Jeddah,” the airline added.

According to Geo News, the passenger was a 55-year-old Indian man.

“The pilot of the Indian carrier contacted the air traffic control at Karachi airport after the passenger did not get better even after he was given oxygen,” the source said.

“The air traffic control allowed the Indigo aircraft to land in Karachi on humanitarian grounds where a medical team has now gone into the aircraft to provide emergency treatment to the passenger,” he added.

After the issue was resolved, the flight departed Karachi and returned to New Delhi, sources said.