Air India Express flight enroute to Indore suffers engine fault mid-air, pilot makes PAN-PAN call

Indore-bound Air India Express flight on Friday suffered a mid-air engine fault leading to pilot making a PAN PAN call to the Air Traffic Control, PTI reported.

According to aviation protocol, ‘PAN-PAN’ is an internationally valid signal used to indicate an urgent but non-life-threatening situation, requiring immediate support from ATC or ground services.

The Delhi-origin flight carrying 161 passengers later landed safely at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport with a 20-minute delay, officials said.

"After receiving information about a technical fault in one of the engines of the Air India Express plane coming from Delhi to Indore, we took all precautions and the aircraft landed at Indore airport at 9.55 am. As per the schedule, it was supposed to land at the Indore airport at 9.35 am," Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport Director Vipinkant Seth told PTI.

The flight, IX 1028, had departed from Delhi and landed safely with all passengers and crew unharmed, Seth confirmed. "The crew of this plane with flight number IX 1028 and all 161 passengers on board are completely safe," he said.

Seth added that the pilot sent a ‘PAN-PAN’ signal to the Air Traffic Control (ATC), following which emergency measures were activated. "The pilot of the plane sent a 'PAN-PAN' signal to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) after which fire and medical arrangements were made at the airport as per the standard operating procedure (SOP)," he told PTI.

This is the second such reported incident since July 2025 when an IndiGo flight en route from Delhi to Goa made an emergency landing at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on July 16 after encountering an engine issue mid-air.

(With inputs from PTI)