IndiGo flight 6E 108 evacuated after passenger device catches fire at Chandigarh
Synopsis
An IndiGo flight evacuated all passengers at Chandigarh after a traveller's personal electronic device caught fire on the grounded aircraft on 5 May 2026. The incident adds to a string of recent safety scares for India's largest low-cost carrier, raising fresh questions about cabin safety protocols and lithium-battery risks.
Key Takeaways
IndiGo flight 6E 108 from Hyderabad to Chandigarh was evacuated on 5 May 2026 after a passenger's personal electronic device caught fire.
The aircraft was stationary after landing when the incident occurred; no injuries were reported.
Cabin crew contained the fire and all passengers were safely moved to the Chandigarh airport terminal .
The aircraft is undergoing mandatory safety checks before resuming operations.
In late March 2026 , a separate IndiGo flight from Visakhapatnam made an emergency landing at IGI Airport, New Delhi after an engine failure; all 161 passengers and crew were safe.
An IndiGo flight from Hyderabad to Chandigarh was evacuated on 5 May 2026 after a passenger's personal electronic device caught fire onboard flight 6E 108, which had already landed and was stationary on the tarmac. All passengers were safely moved to the terminal, and no injuries were reported.
What Happened on Flight 6E 108
The incident took place while the aircraft was on the ground at Chandigarh airport following its arrival from Hyderabad. Cabin crew responded immediately, containing the fire and preventing any structural damage to the aircraft. All relevant authorities were informed without delay, the airline confirmed.
IndiGo issued an official statement attributing the incident to a passenger's personal electronic equipment. "On 5 May 2026, while IndiGo flight 6E 108 from Hyderabad to Chandigarh was stationary after landing, an incident involving a customer's personal electronic equipment catching fire was reported," an IndiGo spokesperson said.
Airline's Response and Evacuation
An immediate evacuation was carried out in the interest of passenger safety. "All customers have been safely moved to the terminal and are being attended to by the team to ensure their well-being. The aircraft will undergo necessary checks before resuming operations. At IndiGo, the safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority," the spokesperson added.
The prompt response by cabin crew is being credited with preventing the situation from escalating. Aviation safety protocols require that all such incidents involving fire onboard — even on the ground — trigger a full evacuation and regulatory notification.
A Pattern of IndiGo Incidents in Recent Months
This is not the first aviation scare involving IndiGo in recent weeks. In late March 2026, a full emergency was declared at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport after an IndiGo flight reportedly developed a technical snag mid-air, leading to the failure of one of its engines. That flight, operating from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to Delhi, made an emergency but safe landing on IGI's runway number 28 at 10:54 am.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that a full emergency had been declared at the airport at 10:39 am, with all emergency services and the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) pressed into action as per existing aviation protocol. All 161 passengers and crew members on board were unharmed, and no damage to the aircraft was reported.
Notably, incidents involving personal electronic devices — particularly lithium-ion batteries — catching fire mid-flight or on the ground are a growing concern globally. Aviation regulators have repeatedly flagged the risk posed by power banks, laptops, and smartphones with damaged batteries in aircraft cabins.
What Happens Next
The 6E 108 aircraft is set to undergo mandatory safety checks before it resumes commercial operations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation regulator, typically initiates a review of such incidents to assess crew response, equipment involved, and whether additional safety advisories are warranted. As IndiGo faces heightened scrutiny following a series of safety-related events, the airline's operational protocols are likely to come under renewed regulatory focus.
Point of View
Not just airline reassurance. The cabin crew's swift response on flight 6E 108 is commendable, but the broader concern — the unchecked proliferation of lithium-ion devices in aircraft cabins — remains a systemic gap that the DGCA has been slow to address with enforceable rules. IndiGo, which commands over half of India's domestic aviation market, sets the safety benchmark by default. The question regulators must now answer is whether existing passenger electronics guidelines are sufficient, or whether India needs stricter pre-boarding screening protocols before a ground incident becomes an airborne catastrophe.
NationPress
8 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on IndiGo flight 6E 108 on 5 May 2026?
A passenger's personal electronic device caught fire onboard IndiGo flight 6E 108 from Hyderabad to Chandigarh while the aircraft was stationary after landing. All passengers were safely evacuated to the terminal and no injuries were reported.
Were any passengers or crew injured in the IndiGo fire incident?
No injuries were reported. IndiGo confirmed that all customers were safely moved to the terminal and were being attended to by the airline's team.
What will happen to the IndiGo aircraft after the fire incident?
The aircraft will undergo necessary safety checks before resuming commercial operations, as per standard aviation protocol following any onboard fire incident.
Has IndiGo had other safety incidents recently?
Yes. In late March 2026, an IndiGo flight from Visakhapatnam to Delhi declared a full emergency at IGI Airport after one of its engines reportedly failed mid-air. The flight landed safely and all 161 passengers and crew were unharmed.
Why are personal electronic devices a safety risk on flights?
Personal electronic devices, particularly those with lithium-ion batteries such as power banks, laptops, and smartphones, can overheat and catch fire. Aviation regulators globally have flagged this as a growing cabin safety concern, especially for devices with damaged or defective batteries.
