Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s flight from Delhi to Lucknow had to make a go-around shortly before landing on Tuesday after weather conditions affected the aircraft’s first approach to the airport.
The aircraft eventually landed safely at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, with aviation sources describing the go-around as a normal operational procedure adopted when prevailing weather conditions make an immediate landing unsuitable.
Gandhi was travelling to Lucknow as part of a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency, Raebareli, in Uttar Pradesh. After arriving in Lucknow, he continued his journey to Raebareli by road.
Flight delayed before landing
According to aviation sources, the Airbus A320 operating the Delhi-Lucknow service had been scheduled to arrive in Lucknow at around 3:30 pm. The flight departed Delhi approximately 20 to 25 minutes later than its scheduled departure time.
The aircraft encountered light rain and low atmospheric pressure conditions while making its initial approach to Lucknow airport. Instead of continuing with the landing, the pilots carried out a go-around, taking the aircraft back into the air before attempting another approach.
The aircraft landed safely around seven minutes after the go-around, according to the sources. Passengers subsequently disembarked from the aircraft and continued towards their respective destinations.
A go-around is a standard aviation safety procedure in which an aircraft abandons its landing approach and climbs back to a safe altitude before making another attempt. Pilots may initiate such a manoeuvre when weather, visibility, runway conditions, air traffic or other operational circumstances make landing unsuitable or unsafe.
Rahul Gandhi continues journey to Raebareli
Gandhi was travelling to Lucknow before proceeding to Raebareli, where he was scheduled to undertake a two-day programme.
After the aircraft landed, Gandhi was received at the airport by Congress workers and local party leaders. Among those present were Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai and Akhand Pratap Singh.
Following his arrival, Gandhi left Lucknow for Raebareli by road and reached his constituency later in the evening.
His visit includes interactions with local residents, Congress workers and various groups in the constituency. The programme is focused partly on local issues and development-related matters.
DISHA meeting scheduled in Raebareli
As part of his scheduled programme, Gandhi is also expected to participate in a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, commonly known as the DISHA committee.
The meeting is expected to focus on the implementation and review of development programmes and works in the district. Such meetings provide a platform for reviewing the progress of government schemes and addressing issues related to development projects.
Gandhi, who represents Raebareli in the Lok Sabha, is expected to review development-related work during his visit and interact with local representatives and people.
Weather conditions affect aviation operations
The incident highlights how changing weather conditions can influence flight operations, particularly during the approach and landing phase.
Light rain, reduced visibility, atmospheric pressure variations and other weather-related factors can require pilots to reassess an approach. If conditions do not meet the necessary operational parameters, a go-around can be carried out before another landing attempt is made.
In this case, the aircraft successfully completed the second approach and landed without further reported difficulty.
The incident did not result in any reported injury or emergency. Passengers were able to disembark normally after the aircraft reached the airport.
For Gandhi, the brief disruption did not significantly affect his scheduled visit. After completing the flight journey, he proceeded by road towards Raebareli, where his political and constituency-related engagements were scheduled to continue.