Smell in cabin forces diversion and termination of Bengaluru-Frankfurt flight
Lufthansa officials confirmed that the flight was diverted to Mumbai and was terminated.
The flight took off from Bengaluru after a delay of three-and-a-half hours
Published - September 21, 2026 10:56 am IST - Bengaluru
Lufthansa airplanes on the tarmac. German carrier Lufthansa operates a daily non-stop flight LH755 from Bengaluru to Frankfurt in Germany. | Photo Credit: File photo
A direct flight from Bengaluru to Frankfurt in Germany on September 20 was diverted to Mumbai and terminated due to an unusual smell emanating from the aircraft cabin.
German carrier Lufthansa, which operates a daily non-stop flight LH755 from Bengaluru to Frankfurt, was scheduled to depart from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) around 3 a.m. on September 20. However, the departure was delayed. The flight took off from Bengaluru after a delay of three-and-a-half hours. On the way, the flight was diverted to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.
Lufthansa officials confirmed that the flight was diverted to Mumbai and was terminated.
“Flight LH755 diverted because of operational issues and the flight was terminated in Mumbai. There was an issue with smell in the aircraft cabin due to which the flight was diverted to Mumbai,” Jeffrey James, Head of Lufthansa Group Communications - Asia Pacific & Middle East told The Hindu.
Mr. James said that the cabin crew diverted the flight to Mumbai to ascertain the reason for the smell, but the source of the smell could not be determined, and it was decided to terminate the flight.
Lufthansa operates a Boeing 747 aircraft on the route. The aircraft had 364 passengers on board. They were accommodated on alternative flights to continue their journey to Frankfurt.
“All passengers were accommodated on alternative flights to ensure that they reach their destination,” Mr. James said.
The delay in departure from Bengaluru and the diversion to Mumbai was highlighted on social media.
“Flight 0755 from Bangalore to FRA was 3.5 hours late, now we are now at Mumbai airport as flight was diverted here due to some “smell” issue, the fact is we are stuck inside this aircraft for 2 hours, and we are already 9 hours behind schedule!!!,” Felix Remedios, a passenger posted on X.
In another post he said, “Please ask your team in Mumbai to find a quick solution, sitting inside an aircraft - without any proper sleep all night - due to all the delays, and unable to go into the terminal shows complete inefficiency of your local staff !!!”
Lufthansa said that the Bengaluru-Frankfurt flight on September 21 (Monday) departed from KIA as per schedule.
Published - September 21, 2026 10:56 am IST
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