Dibrugarh: An IndiGo flight carrying 144 passengers was diverted to Imphal on Sunday after a sudden dust storm sharply reduced visibility at Dibrugarh airport, forcing the crew to abandon the scheduled landing in the interest of safety.
The aircraft, operating as Flight 6E-6457, was en route from Ahmedabad to Dibrugarh via Guwahati.
It had departed from the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at 10.20 am and was scheduled to land at Dibrugarh at 11.15 am.
However, as the plane approached its destination, a severe dust storm swept across the region, pushing visibility levels below the minimum safety threshold required for landing.
With conditions deemed unsafe, the flight crew took a precautionary decision to divert the aircraft to the nearest suitable alternative airport — the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport.
Confirming the development, Dibrugarh Airport Director Bangajit Saha said visibility at the airport had dropped below prescribed limits at the time of arrival.
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“As poor visibility persisted, the crew diverted the aircraft to Imphal in the interest of passenger safety,” he said.
Airport authorities continued to monitor weather conditions across Upper Assam, and once the dust storm subsided and visibility improved, air traffic control cleared the aircraft to resume its journey.
The IndiGo flight later departed from Imphal and landed safely at Dibrugarh airport at around 1.20 pm, nearly two hours behind schedule.
Officials said passengers were kept informed throughout the diversion and return process, and no further disruptions were reported.
