Video: Smoke scare on Saudia Hajj flight sparks emergency at India airport

Lucknow: A Saudia Airlines flight carrying Hajj pilgrims from Jeddah sparked alarm at Lucknow airport on June 15 after smoke and sparks were seen coming from its wheels shortly after landing.

Airport officials confirmed that the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team responded swiftly to the incident. Working alongside the airline’s team, they were able to contain the smoke and prevent damage to the aircraft.

The passengers were safely deboarded, and no injuries were reported. Airport operations remained unaffected by the incident.

“On the morning of June 15, smoke was detected from the wheels of a Saudia Airlines aircraft that landed at Lucknow airport from Jeddah,” said an airport official. “The ARFF team rushed to the spot and, in coordination with the Saudia team, contained the smoke. Damage was averted and all passengers deboarded safely.”

The flight was part of the annual Hajj operations, which saw over one lakh Indian pilgrims travel to Mecca this year. Hajj rituals were held in Saudi Arabia between June 4 and June 9. The first batch of Indian pilgrims had departed as early as May, with flights from cities like Lucknow and Hyderabad.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju recently confirmed that 1,22,518 pilgrims from India had participated in the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.

In an unrelated incident on the same day, a Lufthansa flight en route to Hyderabad from Frankfurt was forced to turn back after a bomb threat was received by authorities.

Sources said an email threatening the Hyderabad-bound flight was received by airport officials at 6:01 PM IST on June 15. As a precaution, the aircraft returned to its departure point in Frankfurt.

A Lufthansa spokesperson stated, “Out of an abundance of caution, Lufthansa flight LH752 from Frankfurt to Hyderabad returned to its point of departure after authorities were made aware of a bomb threat posted on social media.”

The airline confirmed that all passengers were provided accommodation in Frankfurt. “The safety of our passengers and crew is Lufthansa’s highest priority,” the spokesperson added. The affected passengers were scheduled to resume their journey to Hyderabad the next day.

A bomb threat assessment committee has been activated to investigate the matter in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).