An Air India flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, carrying several MPs, including senior Congress leader and Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee KC Venugopal, was diverted to Chennai on Sunday evening due to a technical issue, the airline said.
Air India flight AI2455, operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi "made a precautionary diversion to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue and given the weather conditions en route," an Air India spokesperson said.
Harrowing journey: KC Venugopal
Congress MP Venugopal, who was on board, in an X post described the incident as a "harrowing journey". He said that the Air India flight carrying him and several other MPs from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi came "frighteningly close to tragedy".
Venugopal said, "Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi -- carrying myself, several MPs and hundreds of passengers -- came frighteningly close to tragedy today."
"What began as a delayed departure turned into a harrowing journey. Shortly after take-off, we were hit by unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later, the Captain announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai. For nearly two hours, we circled the airport awaiting clearance to land, until a heart-stopping moment during our first attempt -- another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway. In that split second, the Captain's quick decision to pull up saved every life on board. The flight landed safely on the second attempt," he said in the post.
"We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck," the MP said, urging the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to investigate the incident, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again.
What did Air India say about the flight diversion?
Responding to Venugopal on X, Air India said, "We would like to clarify that the diversion to Chennai was precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions."
"A go-around was instructed by Chennai ATC (air traffic control) during the first attempted landing at Chennai airport, not because of the presence of another aircraft on the runway ... Our pilots are well-trained to handle such situations, and in this case, they followed standard procedures throughout the flight," Air India claimed.
"We understand that such an experience can be unsettling and regret the inconvenience the diversion may have caused to you. However, safety is always our priority," the airline added.
The flight AI2455, operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, was airborne for more than two hours, according to information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
Air India flight gets diverted to Chennai after a snag
"The flight crew of AI2455 operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on August 10 made a precautionary diversion to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue and given the weather conditions en route," the airline said in a statement earlier.
Air India said that the flight landed safely in Chennai, where the aircraft will now undergo necessary inspections. The airline said alternative arrangements are being made to transport passengers to their destinations as soon as possible and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused.
Details on the number of passengers were not immediately available. According to data from Flightradar24.com, the flight departed from Thiruvananthapuram shortly after 8 pm and landed in Chennai at around 10.35 pm.
The incident comes amid a series of recent cases where some Air India aircraft have encountered technical snags.
(With PTI inputs)
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