Mid-air smoke scare on Tvm-B'luru flight

Smoke from a laptop bag triggered a mid-air scare on a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight but no untoward incident took place, the airline said on Monday.

The incident took place on Saturday when the IndiGo plane was flying from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru. Some of the passengers smelt smoke on the flight following which the crew did a thorough check.

According to a statement from the airline, the crew quickly identified minor sparks coming from a black bag and immediately informed the Pilot-in-Command.

They used the fire extinguisher, relocated passengers from nearby seats and kept the laptop in a container of water till the plane landed safely.

"Smoke from a black laptop placed in the hand baggage was discharged with a fire extinguisher, as per the SOPs prescribed by the aircraft manufacturer. The laptop was then transferred into a container filled with water in the lavatory," the statement said.

The aircraft made a normal landing at Bengaluru airport, all passengers were deplaned according to the normal procedure and DGCA was voluntarily informed.

"We are thankful to passengers for the cooperation they extended to the crew on board. At IndiGo, safety is of utmost priority and at no time can it be compromised," it said.

Following a series of incidents earlier, the crew of various airlines are now trained in using fire extinguishers. Last month, an incident of a mobile phone catching fire mid-air on a Delhi-Indore flight was reported.