Rat on board causes nearly three-hour delay for Indigo flight at Kanpur airport

LUCKNOW: An Indigo flight from Kanpur to Delhi was delayed by nearly three hours on Sunday due to the presence of a rat inside the aircraft. The flight, scheduled to depart from Chakeri Airport in Kanpur at 2:55 pm, had completed its incoming journey from Delhi when crew members and passengers spotted the rat moving around the cabins inside the plane.According to Chakeri Airport Director Sanjay Kumar, the airport authorities decided not to allow the aircraft to depart until the rodent was found and the aircraft was declared safe. The airline’s technical and ground staff immediately launched a full-scale search.According to sources in Indigo, the rodent was sighted on the plane, and fumigation was conducted to clear the aircraft of any mosquitoes, flies, rodents, and other pests. Therefore, passengers were deboarded.

Sanjay Kumar confirmed that the flight eventually departed for Delhi at 6:04 pm, nearly three hours behind schedule. However, not all passengers continued their journey—111 boarded the rescheduled flight, while 29 chose to cancel or postpone their travel plans.

Airport authorities emphasized that safety protocols required the aircraft to remain grounded until the issue was resolved. “

The search to locate the rodent continued for approximately one and a half hours. The flight, initially expected to land in Delhi by 4:10 pm, departed Kanpur at 6:03 pm and reached its destination by 7

Several passengers, particularly women, panicked and raised an alarm. The cabin crew quickly intervened, deboarding all 140 passengers from the 189-seater flight and moving them to the airport lounge due to safety concerns.