LUCKNOW, April 1 -- A Delhi-bound Air India Express flight triggered an emergency alert on Monday evening when pilots issued a Mayday call after detecting smoke in the cockpit at 36,000 feet. Flight IX1523 was diverted to Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCIA), landing safely at 5:17 PM, the CCIA spokesperson said. The aircraft was travelling from Bagdogra in West Bengal to New Delhi when it was passing over Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. The crew identified signs of smoke, reportedly from the avionics panel. The pilot's distress call to Lucknow air traffic control (ATC) initiated emergency protocols, including the automatic deployment of oxygen masks in the cabin. All 148 passengers plus crew members onboard were reported safe. Cabin crew instructed passengers on oxygen mask use as a precautionary measure during the descent, according to the spokesperson. Security teams arranged alternate travel, with most passengers accommodated on subsequent flights to Delhi that evening. Nine passengers were provided hotel accommodation plus transported to Delhi on Tuesday morning....