A Saudia Airlines flight carrying 242 Haj pilgrims from Jeddah to Lucknow sparked an emergency response early Sunday morning, June 15, after smoke was observed emanating from the aircraft’s wheels shortly after landing at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport. The flight, numbered SV 3112, had departed Jeddah at 10:45 PM on June 14 and touched down in Lucknow at around 6:30 AM. As soon as the aircraft came to a halt on the tarmac, an alarm was triggered due to visible smoke, leading airport authorities to respond swiftly.

The Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team was immediately deployed to the scene. Thanks to their prompt action, the situation was quickly brought under control, and all passengers were safely evacuated without any injuries or harm. Preliminary investigations point to a likely hydraulic system leak, which is believed to have caused overheating in the wheel assembly, resulting in the smoke. Experts are now examining the aircraft to confirm the exact cause of the incident, but sources close to the matter have confirmed there was no fire or explosion, just intense overheating localized to the wheel area.

Despite the technical glitch, airport operations continued unaffected, and the flight is expected to return empty to its destination on Monday, June 17, according to sources speaking to PTI. The incident has raised concerns given the critical timing, as thousands of Indian Muslims are currently traveling to and from Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Haj pilgrimage. Aviation officials have stressed that all standard safety protocols were followed and credited the ground staff for their efficiency in preventing what could have been a far more serious incident.