Mumbai flights diverted to Surat and other airports amid heavy monsoon rain

Heavy monsoon rains that dumped nearly 200 mm in 12 hours over Mumbai created low visibility, strong crosswinds and unsafe landing conditions. On Saturday, five Mumbai‑bound flights—three operated by IndiGo and two by Air India—were diverted to nearby airports. IndiGo flights 6E 594 (Raipur‑Mumbai), 6E 6544 (Varanasi‑Mumbai) and 6E 6283 (Bengaluru‑Mumbai) were sent to Surat, while Air India flights AI 2963 (Delhi‑Mumbai) and AI 472 (Chandigarh‑Mumbai) were diverted to Surat and Goa respectively. One IndiGo flight attempted to land twice before the pilot redirected it to Surat, where it landed safely with more than 180 passengers. Pilots of 17 other flights also made diversions, and four of the five initially diverted flights later returned to Mumbai. The disruptions caused passenger delays and missed connections, with airlines arranging onward transport from the alternate airports.