After smoke was discovered in the cargo hold compartment of an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Kolkata, the pilots requested a priority landing from Kolkata ATC.
In order to ensure that IndiGo flight 6E-2513 landed safely, Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC) informed the airport fire department.
Before landing, the pilots allegedly followed all applicable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). There have been no complaints of any passenger injuries, despite IndiGo's Airbus (VT-IJA) flying from Delhi to Kolkata receiving a fake cargo smoke warning prior to landing. All passengers are safe.
"The pilots followed their SOPs and prioritised the landing at Kolkata. Post-arrival necessary inspections were carried out. The warning was confirmed as spurious. Necessary rectifications on the detection system are in progress," IndiGo said in a statement.
Aviation sources claim that IndiGo pilots called "May Day" today owing to smoke in the cargo hold of the jet headed for Kolkata.The pilots of the plane declared 'May Day' after a smoke warning in the cargo hold area was later cancelled and landed safely at the airport and it was a fake warning," DGCA official told ANI. A May Day is a distress call that is meant to alert people to a life-threatening situation, typically on a ship or an aeroplane.