Passengers flying into Raipur on an IndiGo service from Bhopal experienced a tense few minutes on Saturday afternoon after the aircraft aborted its first landing attempt and performed a go around before touching down safely. While all on board disembarked without incident, the episode has prompted questions about operational decisions, passenger communication and recent scrutiny of IndiGo’s network performance in India’s increasingly crowded skies.
Go Around at Raipur: What Happened on the Flight
According to officials at Raipur’s Swami Vivekananda Airport, the incident occurred on the afternoon of February 14, 2026, when an IndiGo ATR aircraft operating the Bhopal–Raipur sector approached the runway at around 2:50 pm local time. For reasons not immediately disclosed, the pilots were unable to complete the landing and elected to execute a go around, a standard maneuver in which an aircraft aborts its approach, climbs away from the runway and repositions for another attempt.
Airport and police officials said the aircraft remained airborne for several minutes after the go around while the crew set up for a second approach. The turboprop then landed safely at Raipur, with no injuries reported among passengers or crew. Ground operations proceeded normally after the aircraft vacated the runway, and there were no immediate reports of broader disruption to other arriving or departing flights at the airport.
A senior police official based at the airport told local media that the initial approach had been stable enough for the aircraft’s wheels to briefly touch the runway before the pilots advanced power and climbed away again. That sequence is consistent with passenger descriptions of a partial touchdown followed by a rapid ascent, a routine but disconcerting experience for many travelers unfamiliar with airline procedures.
Passenger Accounts of a Briefly Tense Approach
Passengers on board the Bhopal–Raipur flight described a momentary sense of alarm as the aircraft appeared to land, then quickly lifted off again. One traveler recounted that the plane’s wheels seemed to hit the runway before the engines surged and the aircraft climbed back into the sky, prompting murmurs and questions in the cabin as people looked to the crew for reassurance.
Several passengers told local outlets that the crew made an in-flight announcement explaining that the pilots had initiated a go around and that there was no cause for panic. While exact wording varied in recollections, the message emphasized that the maneuver was a standard safety procedure used whenever pilots were not fully satisfied with the conditions for landing, whether due to stability on approach, spacing with traffic, wind shifts or runway factors.
Despite that reassurance, some travelers reported feeling uneasy until the aircraft touched down on its second attempt. In India, as elsewhere, a run of recent aviation incidents and widely shared social media videos has heightened public sensitivity to any deviation from what passengers perceive as a normal flight profile, including go arounds that pilots and regulators classify as routine risk management.
Return Sector Cancelled and Operational Repercussions
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, airport officials confirmed that the aircraft’s scheduled return service from Raipur back to Bhopal was cancelled. Authorities did not publicly specify whether the cancellation was driven by technical checks on the aircraft, crew duty-time limitations, or broader operational considerations, but the decision effectively took the aircraft off the day’s network from Raipur.
Passengers booked on the cancelled return leg were reportedly informed at the airport and offered rebooking options on later services or alternate routings, in line with standard airline practices. Given IndiGo’s dominant presence in India’s domestic market, many affected travelers are likely to have been accommodated on other flights within the carrier’s network, though some may have faced extended delays or overnight stays.
From an operational perspective, cancelling the return sector after an event of this nature is a conservative measure that allows engineers and maintenance staff time to inspect the aircraft, review flight data and confirm that all systems performed as expected. For passengers caught in the middle, however, the move adds to the perception of disruption at a time when IndiGo is already under regulatory and public pressure over network reliability.
Why Pilots Perform Go Arounds and What It Means for Safety
A go around, while unsettling to some travelers, is one of the most safety-conscious decisions a flight crew can make. Aviation regulators and pilot training organizations worldwide stress that there is no penalty or stigma associated with discontinuing an approach if pilots are not completely satisfied with the landing conditions. Instead, go arounds are treated as a proactive defense against unstable approaches, unexpected runway incursions, sudden wind changes or evolving weather.
On a typical approach, crews continuously evaluate parameters such as speed, descent rate, lateral alignment with the runway, visibility and traffic spacing. If any of these fall outside prescribed limits near the ground, standard operating procedures mandate either correcting them promptly or executing a go around. In some cases, a partial touchdown followed by a climb, as described by passengers in Raipur, may occur if pilots detect an issue at the last moment and decide interruption is the safest course.
In India’s fast-growing aviation market, where secondary airports such as Raipur are seeing more traffic from a mix of narrow-body jets and regional turboprops, stabilized-approach guidance and go around training have become central themes in safety oversight. Regulators have previously highlighted unstable approaches as a significant risk factor worldwide, urging carriers to ensure that crews feel empowered to go around without pressure to complete a landing at all costs.
Raipur’s Growing Air Traffic and Past Operational Strains
Swami Vivekananda Airport serves as the primary aviation gateway to Chhattisgarh and has seen a steady expansion in domestic connectivity as airlines tap demand from business, government and visiting friends-and-relatives traffic. IndiGo is a key operator at the airport, linking Raipur to major metros including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and regional centers such as Bhopal and Pune.
The facility has faced operational challenges in recent years. In one 2025 episode, runway lighting and navigational aids were disrupted after a reported lightning strike, forcing several flights, including IndiGo services, to divert to alternate airports. While that incident was resolved and full operations restored, it underscored the vulnerability of busy regional airports to infrastructure and weather-related shocks.
Raipur’s runway configuration and the mix of aircraft types also demand careful performance planning, particularly for turboprop services which can be more sensitive to weight, wind and runway conditions. While there is no public indication that Saturday’s go around was linked to infrastructure or weather issues, the backdrop of a busier airfield and previous disruptions forms part of the context in which passengers and local authorities interpret any irregular event.
IndiGo Under the Microscope After Months of Disruption
The Raipur go around comes at a time when IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, is working to stabilize its schedule following a bruising period of cancellations and delays. In late 2025, the carrier drew regulator scrutiny after hundreds of flights were disrupted over several days, triggering a review by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and a requirement to submit a detailed recovery plan.
As part of that plan, IndiGo has been adjusting its schedule, securing crew and resources, and working within revised flight duty time norms intended to manage pilot fatigue. The Ministry of Civil Aviation recently indicated that the airline has committed to fully implementing updated duty and rest regulations for its pilots, following a temporary relief window granted during the height of its operational crisis.
Against that backdrop, even incidents that end safely, such as the Raipur go around or previous technical glitches affecting IndiGo flights, attract heightened attention. Passengers, regulators and industry observers are watching closely for any signs that the carrier’s rapid growth is outpacing its ability to maintain consistently smooth operations across a sprawling domestic network.
Recent IndiGo Incidents Shaping Passenger Perceptions
In recent months, IndiGo services have been involved in a series of high-visibility events that, while not linked in terms of causation, collectively influence public perception. An IndiGo flight between Patna and Pune earlier in February left a large portion of passengers without their checked baggage after the airline reportedly prioritized weight and performance considerations over loading all luggage, leading to anger and complaints at arrival.
In 2025, travelers on an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Raipur reported being unable to disembark for an extended period after landing due to a malfunction affecting the aircraft door mechanism. Passengers, including prominent political figures, described being stuck on board for around 30 to 40 minutes while crews and ground staff resolved the issue, drawing further media coverage and questions about maintenance and communication.
Earlier, an IndiGo service from Raipur to Delhi was forced to abort its approach and circle after a sudden dust storm and high winds hit the capital region, leading to severe turbulence and a go around prior to a safe landing. Though weather, rather than technical failure, drove that event, video footage and social media accounts amplified the drama for a national audience.
Individually, such events represent different types of operational and environmental challenges that airlines around the world regularly manage. Collectively, they mean that when another IndiGo flight performs a go around at Raipur, passengers are quicker to connect the dots and question what is happening behind the scenes, even when the official line remains that safety protocols worked as intended.
What Travelers Through Raipur Should Expect in the Coming Days
For travelers planning to fly into or out of Raipur in the days following the go around incident, authorities have not issued any formal restrictions or warnings affecting the airport’s operations. Flights on IndiGo and other carriers are expected to continue on published schedules, though as with any busy domestic hub in India, minor delays or last-minute adjustments remain possible.
Travel experts recommend that passengers keep a close eye on real-time flight status information provided by their airline, particularly in the current season when northern and central India can experience variable weather conditions. Arriving at the airport with extra time built into connections, especially for onward train or intercity bus travel, can provide a cushion against unforeseen disruptions.
Industry analysts note that while the Raipur go around may unsettle some travelers, it is also evidence that pilots are adhering to conservative safety standards by abandoning approaches that do not meet every criterion for a stable landing. For passengers, understanding that such maneuvers are part of normal safety practice, rather than a sign of imminent danger, can help reduce anxiety if they ever experience a go around themselves.
As IndiGo continues to rebuild passenger confidence after a period of network turbulence, incidents like the Raipur approach will be closely watched. The key metrics in the weeks ahead will be the airline’s ability to maintain schedule integrity, communicate clearly when things go wrong and demonstrate that safety-driven decisions in the cockpit are consistently supported by robust processes on the ground.