Air India Express pilot makes PAN-PAN call as Delhi–Indore flight encounters technical fault; lands safely

An Indore-bound Air India Express flight from Delhi, carrying 161 passengers, faced a mid-air scare on Friday (September 5) when one of its engines developed a technical snag. The pilot issued a ‘PAN-PAN’ call—an international alert used for urgent but non-life-threatening situations—to Air Traffic Control. The flight, IX 1028, landed down safely at Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport at 9:55 am, about 20 minutes behind schedule. No injuries were reported.

Indore airport director Vipinkant Seth confirmed that the aircraft experienced an engine-related issue during the approach phase. “As soon as we received word about the problem, emergency teams were kept ready on the ground. The plane landed without incident, and all standard safety measures were in place,” he said.

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According to the airline, the suspected fault was linked to the oil filter system. An Air India Express spokesperson explained that the pilots followed protocol and requested priority landing, stressing that it was not an emergency landing. “Our crew are trained to handle such events calmly and professionally,” the spokesperson added.

What is a PAN-PAN call?

A ‘PAN-PAN’ call is distinct from the more severe ‘MAYDAY’ signal. While the latter denotes a life-threatening emergency, PAN-PAN indicates that assistance is required but there is no immediate danger to passengers or crew. This isn’t the first time a Delhi–Indore service has faced such an issue. In an earlier case, an Air India flight had to return to Delhi shortly after departure following a fire warning in one engine. Initially, the pilot issued a MAYDAY distress call but later downgraded it to PAN-PAN after confirming the situation was under control. That aircraft, an Airbus A320neo, landed safely back in the capital after about half an hour in the air.