Delhi Airport Full Emergency: A full emergency was declared at Delhi Airport on Tuesday, February 24, after a SpiceJet flight SG121 operating from Delhi to Leh returned shortly after takeoff following an engine failure, according to Times Now sources. Around 150 passengers were reported to be onboard the aircraft. In an official statement, a SpiceJet spokesperson said the flight turned back due to a technical issue. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and all passengers were disembarked normally. The airline also clarified that there was no fire warning in the cockpit. Further details are awaited.
Flight SG-121 initiated an immediate air return to the national capital just minutes after departure following a malfunction in its number two engine, stated news agency ANI.
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“SpiceJet 121 Delhi-Leh experienced a problem shortly after departure from Delhi, and returned to Delhi Airport instead of continuing to Leh. Approximately 150 passengers boarded the flight. The cause of the emergency landing is the failure of engine number 2,” the media agency quoted its sources.
Engine Shutdowns: A Worrying Trend
In the past five from 2025 there have been 65 in-flight engine shutdowns in India, according to data obtained by The Times of India through a Right to Information (RTI) request to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In addition, aircraft cockpits made 11 “Mayday” distress calls over just 17 months, not counting the London-bound AI-171 flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 last year, or a diverted domestic IndiGo flight.
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These figures show a worrying trend: Indian airlines face engine malfunctions at almost the rate of one incident per month.
DGCA data includes all types of engine shutdowns, whether during take-off or in mid-air. The regulator’s RTI reply stated, “A total of 65 incidents related to in-flight shutdown of engines from 2020 to 2025 (till date) were reported across India,” the media report added.
In every one of these 65 cases, pilots successfully guided the aircraft to the nearest airport using the remaining functioning engine. Experts say these shutdowns happen due to various technical problems, such as low fuel, turbine faults, or malfunctioning electronic components.
