New Delhi: An Air India Flight AI2455 from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, carrying several MPs, faced chaos mid-air on Sunday evening when a suspected technical glitch forced the plane to make an emergency diversion to Chennai. Senior Congress leader and chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee KC Venugopal described the journey as “frighteningly close to tragedy”.
According to flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, Air India flight AI2455 took off from Thiruvananthapuram shortly after 8:00 pm and landed in Chennai at around 10:35 pm. The plane, operated by an Airbus A320, was in the air for over two hours.
Venugopal’s ordeal
In a post on X (earlier called Twitter), Venugopal wrote,
“Air India flight AI2455 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 faced unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later, the Captain reported a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai.”
The Congress leader further said that the plane circled the airport for about two hours waiting for landing clearance. During the first landing attempt, a “heartbreaking moment” occurred when there was reportedly another plane on the same runway, forcing the pilot to immediately abort the flight and climb back into the air.
Venugopal said, “The Captain’s quick decision saved the lives of all on board. We survived by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck. I urge @DGCAIndia and @MoCA_GoI to urgently investigate this incident and ensure that such lapses never happen again.”
Air India’s clarification
Responding to Venugopal’s post, Air India issued a statement saying that the plane was diverted as a precaution due to a suspected technical problem and bad weather en route.
The airline clarified, “Chennai ATC had instructed a go-around during the first landing attempt and not due to any other aircraft on the runway. Our pilots are trained to deal with such situations and followed all standard operating procedures.”
The airline also apologised for the inconvenience and assured passengers that safety is the top priority. The plane is now undergoing a thorough technical check in Chennai.
Alternative travel arrangements
Air India has confirmed that arrangements are being made to transport the passengers to their final destination as soon as possible. The exact number of passengers on board the plane has not been disclosed.
The incident comes amid a number of recent technical glitches on Air India flights, raising concerns about maintenance and safety protocols in India’s aviation sector.