Air India plane carrying several MPs including KC Venugopal diverted to Chennai due to technical fault, 100 passengers were on board

New Delhi. Air India plane AI2455 had to be diverted to Chennai due to technical fault and bad weather on the way. The plane landed safely at Chennai airport, where the necessary investigation of the aircraft will be done. Five MPs – KC Venugopal, Kodikkunnil Suresh, Adoor Prakash, K. Radhakrishnan and Robert Bruce – were going to Delhi in this flight.

Congress leader and MP KC Venugopal shared information about this incident on social media. He said that the flight started late and soon after takeoff we had to face unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later the captain announced flight signal fault and diverted the plane towards Chennai.

According to Venugopal, the plane waited for clearance above Chennai airport for about two hours. A shocking moment came during the first landing attempt – according to reports, another plane was present on the same runway. The captain’s quick decision pulled the plane up and saved the lives of all the passengers. The flight landed safely in the second attempt.

Passenger safety should not depend on luck – KC Venugopal
The Congress MP said, “Both skill and luck saved us, but passenger safety should not depend on luck. I appeal to DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to immediately investigate this incident, fix responsibility and ensure that such a lapse does not happen again.”

Air India denies the presence of other aircraft on the runway
Air India has rejected KC Venugopal’s claim of the presence of other aircraft at the airport. The airline commented on the Congress MP’s post and said, “We would like to clarify that the diversion of the flight towards Chennai was a precautionary step, taken due to suspected technical problem and bad weather conditions. During the first landing attempt at Chennai airport, Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructed “Go-Around”, and it was not due to the presence of any other aircraft on the runway.”

Air India said, “Our pilots are fully trained to handle such situations, and in this case too, they followed all standard procedures throughout the flight. We understand that this experience must have been uncomfortable for you and we apologize for the inconvenience caused by this diversion. However, the safety of passengers and crew is always the top priority for us. Thank you for your understanding.”

Air India issued a statement
Air India’s official statement did not mention that the presence of any other aircraft on the runway caused problems in landing. The airline only cited technical problems and weather as the reason for the diversion. The flight departed from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on August 10.

Air India apologised to the passengers for the inconvenience and said that its team in Chennai is providing all possible assistance to the passengers and making alternate arrangements to ensure that they reach their destination as soon as possible. The spokesperson stressed that the safety of passengers and crew is the top priority of the company.