Air India Express Flight Faces Engine Glitch, Pilot Issues ‘PAN-PAN’ Alert Before Safe Landing
Delhi-Indore: An Air India Express flight, IX 1028, en route from Delhi to Indore encountered a mid-air engine issue on Friday, September 5, 2025, prompting the pilot to issue a ‘PAN-PAN’ call before safely landing at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport with a 20-minute delay, according to PTI, citing an official familiar with the incident.
The Air India Express plane, carrying 161 passengers, touched down safely at Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport. The airport director, Vipinkant Seth, informed PTI that one of the aircraft’s two engines suffered a technical malfunction. Ground crews at the airport took all necessary precautions to ensure a safe landing.
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“We were notified of a technical issue in one engine of the Air India Express flight from Delhi to Indore. We implemented all safety measures, and the plane landed at 9:55 a.m., slightly behind its scheduled 9:35 a.m. arrival,” Seth told PTI on Friday.
He confirmed that all 161 passengers and crew members were unharmed. Data from the industry tracking platform FlightAware indicated that the affected aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8.
What Does a ‘PAN-PAN’ Call Mean?
The pilot of the Air India Express flight issued a ‘PAN-PAN’ signal, an internationally recognized call used to alert air traffic control (ATC) to an urgent but non-life-threatening situation. Following the signal, ground staff at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport arranged fire and medical services as part of standard operating procedures, per the PTI report.
A ‘PAN-PAN’ call, used in air or maritime radio communications, indicates a pressing issue requiring assistance but not an immediate danger to life. When pilots issue this signal, it prompts ATC or ground services to provide swift support for situations like the one on Friday, which demanded attention but posed no direct threat to passengers or crew.
(With inputs from PTI)