An Air India flight, AI2455, traveling from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi with approximately 150 people on board, including five Members of Parliament (MPs), was forced to make an emergency landing at Chennai International Airport on Sunday night. The unscheduled landing was prompted by a technical issue that arose mid-air.
The flight, which was already delayed, took off from Thiruvananthapuram around 8:17 PM. While en route to Delhi, near Bangalore, the aircraft experienced a sudden engine problem around 10:00 PM. The pilot promptly detected the issue and decided to divert to Chennai. After coordinating with Air Traffic Control (ATC) in both Thiruvananthapuram and Delhi, the pilot was instructed to proceed to Chennai for an emergency landing.
Upon approaching Chennai for landing, passengers reported another aircraft was present on the runway, leading to a potentially dangerous situation. According to Adoor Prakash, one of the MPs on board, the pilots had to abort the initial landing attempt. The plane climbed again and circled for approximately half an hour before successfully landing. The aircraft landed safely in Chennai at approximately 11:20 PM.
Among the passengers were Members of Parliament K.C. Venugopal, Kodikunnil Suresh, Adoor Prakash, K. Radhakrishnan, and Robert Bruce. K.C. Venugopal described the ordeal as a "narrow escape from a major mishap". He reported the radar malfunction to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Venugopal later stated that the flight "came frighteningly close to tragedy". He described experiencing unprecedented turbulence shortly after takeoff and then, about an hour later, the captain announced a flight signal fault and the diversion to Chennai.
Air India officials credited the pilot's swift detection of the engine trouble and immediate actions for averting a potential disaster and ensuring the safe landing. All passengers and crew disembarked safely and were accommodated in airport lounges while alternate arrangements were made for their journey to Delhi. The airline has stated that passengers would either continue on the same aircraft after repairs or be transferred to another flight to Delhi. Air India expressed regret for the inconvenience caused.
The incident caused significant disruption at the involved airports. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a detailed investigation into the cause of the engine snag.
Adding to the concern, it has been reported that the Air India flight landed without obtaining permission from the traffic control authority and that another aircraft was on the runway at the time of landing.
The aircraft is currently undergoing inspection. According to Flightradar24.com, the flight was scheduled to depart from Thiruvananthapuram at 7:15 PM but took off at 8:17 PM, landing in Chennai around 10:35 PM.
