Explained: What is a flight diversion, and why did IndiGo divert to Hyderabad?

A diversion means landing at an airport other than the planned destination, usually for safety, weather or technical reasons.

IndiGo flight 6E6115 was diverted to Hyderabad after a passenger’s power bank caught fire.

Hyderabad is roughly midway between Delhi and Chennai.

The crew put out the fire and the aircraft landed safely.

All passengers were reported safe.

The aircraft landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

All passengers were reported safe, and the reports mention no injuries.

TBS News reported that the aircraft carried 191 people, while The South First gave no passenger count, so the number is from one outlet.

IndiGo said the safety of customers and crew remains its top priority, and that the cabin crew acted promptly to control the situation before landing.

The airline apologised for the inconvenience and said it was offering refreshments and updates to passengers.

IndiGo said an alternate flight was being arranged to take passengers from Hyderabad to Chennai.

Zee News described the diversion as an emergency landing, but an airport official said no emergency or priority landing needed to be declared as the fire had already been put out.

Reports differ on the timing of the onward departure from Hyderabad, with one giving about 5:45 pm.

Power banks are lithium-ion batteries, and damaged or faulty cells can overheat and catch fire.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has advised airlines that passengers should carry power banks in hand baggage and not use or charge them during flights.

The cause of the fire has not been reported, and no investigation findings were available in the reports.

Passengers who see smoke or heat from a device should alert the cabin crew immediately.

A diversion is a decision to land at an airport other than the planned destination, usually for safety, weather or technical reasons.

IndiGo Airbus A321neo (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0