• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

An Air India flight from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi was diverted to Chennai in the late hours after a technical issue was reported. Congress MP KC Venugopal, in a post on X, stated that the flight escaped a mishap after another flight came on the same runway. However, he stated that the flight escaped the trouble due to luck and the pilot's skills. The Congress leader also demanded a probe into the matter; however, while replying to his statement, the airlines clarified that no second aircraft was present on the runway. It further stated that the pilots are trained to deal with these situations.

What did KC Venugopal state in his post?

Venugopal, in his post, stated he, along with other MPs and hundreds of passengers, came "frighteningly" close to the tragedy. “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," Venugopal stated in his post.

ALSO READ: Opposition Plans ‘Vote Chori’ March From Parliament To ECI Office In Protest Of Alleged Poll Rigging

"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 added.

Saved by luck and skill: Venugopal

He further stated that the flight was saved by luck and the pilot's skill, further demanding a probe into the matter to fix accountability. “We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck. I urge @DGCAIndia and @MoCA_GoI to investigate this incident urgently, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again,” he added.

ALSO READ: Delhi Weather Update: Will It Rain In NCR Today? Check IMD Forecast

Air India responds to Congress MP

However, Air India clarified that there was no other aircraft on the same runway, adding that the pilots are well-trained to deal with these situations. “Dear Mr Venugopal, 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 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," the airline stated.