Emraan Hashmi misses Ahmedabad press meet after Akasa Air flight diverted to Jaipur

A harrowing mid-air incident on an Akasa Air flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad on Tuesday morning left passengers shaken and forced a last-minute change to the day’s promotional schedule of Netflix’s upcoming series Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, with actor Emraan Hashmi unable to attend a scheduled press conference in the city.

Akasa Air flight QP 1781, a Boeing 737 Max 8 operating from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, departed at 8.40 am and was expected to land around 10 am. However, as the aircraft approached the Ahmedabad runway, it encountered what the airline later described as conditions that did not meet prescribed safety standards.

According to passengers, the aircraft made two landing attempts, both of which were aborted at the last moment. On each occasion, the plane descended alarmingly close to the runway before the pilot pulled up, triggering panic among those on board.

After the second failed attempt, the pilot, in coordination with Air Traffic Control, decided against a third approach and diverted the flight to Jaipur as a precautionary measure.

The aircraft landed safely in Jaipur, where passengers were briefly grounded before the flight later resumed its journey. Akasa Air said the aircraft subsequently departed Jaipur and landed safely in Ahmedabad at 1.47 pm.

Among those on board was actor Emraan Hashmi, who was scheduled to attend a media interaction at a hotel in Vastrapur at 11.30 am for the launch of the Netflix customs thriller Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web.

Owing to the delay caused by the diversion, Hashmi could not make it to the press conference. He was also slated to visit the Uttarayan Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront later in the afternoon, along with co-stars Nandish Singh Sandhu, Amruta Khanvilkar and Zoya Afroz.

In a statement, an Akasa Air spokesperson said, “Akasa Air flight QP 1781, operating from Mumbai to Ahmedabad on January 13, 2026, discontinued its approach into Ahmedabad as the landing did not meet Akasa Air's prescribed safety standards.

The operating crew accordingly decided to divert the flight to Jaipur as per our standard operating procedures. The aircraft later departed Jaipur and landed safely in Ahmedabad at 13:47 hours today.”

“At Akasa Air, we follow world-class safety standards, and the well-being of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority. We regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate our passengers’ understanding,” the spokesperson added.

While all passengers were reported safe, the incident sparked anxious moments onboard, with several travellers describing the experience as “terrifying”. Sources said the airline has initiated an internal review to ascertain the exact cause of the aborted landings.

The delay disrupted planned media engagements in Ahmedabad, though organisers said the remaining members of the cast went ahead with their scheduled appearances later in the day.