Elderly Passenger Dies Mid-Flight; IndiGo Flight Makes Emergency Landing at Chikalthana Airport

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, April 7, 2025: An IndiGo flight travelling from Mumbai to Varanasi was forced to make an emergency landing at Chikalthana Airport on Sunday night after an elderly passenger died mid-air. The deceased has been identified as 89-year-old Sushila Devi, a resident of Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.

According to officials, the passenger began feeling unwell shortly after the flight departed from Mumbai. The crew immediately alerted air traffic control, and the flight was diverted to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in response to the medical emergency.

The aircraft landed at approximately 10:00 PM, where a medical team was deployed to attend to the passenger. However, doctors confirmed that Sushila Devi had passed away before the flight could land.

Police personnel from the MIDC CIDCO station carried out all necessary legal procedures at the airport. Following the formalities, the flight was cleared to resume its journey to Varanasi.

In a statement, IndiGo Airlines confirmed the incident and said the body was handed over to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The airline expressed its condolences to the family and stated that full cooperation was extended to the concerned authorities.

The incident has once again raised concerns over the handling of in-flight medical emergencies, particularly involving senior citizens and vulnerable passengers.