Air India responded to Congress MP KC Venugopal.
- Flight AI 2455 from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi diverted to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue
- The flight was carrying many MPs, including Congress' KC Venugopal
- The aircraft circled Chennai for two hours before landing safely on the second attempt, Mr Venugopal narrated
A Delhi-bound Air India flight from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram carrying many Members of Parliament, including Congress secretary KC Venugopal, made an emergency diversion to Chennai after a suspected technical issue on Sunday. The Congress MP in a post on X narrated his "harrowing journey" aboard the flight AI 2455, adding that they had come "frighteningly close to tragedy".
According to Mr Venugopal, the flight, which was already delayed for departure, was hit by unprecedented turbulence shortly after take-off and was diverted to Chennai an hour later.
"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," he wrote.
"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. We were saved by skill and luck," the Congress leader added.
However, Mr Venugopal said that "passenger safety cannot depend on luck".
He also tagged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, urging them to investigate the incident, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again.
The airline responded to Mr Venugopal, clarifying that the flight did not perform a go-around due to the presence of another aircraft on the runway, but rather because of instructions from the Chennai ATC.
"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," Air India said.
It added, "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. Thank you for your understanding."
However, Mr Venugopal alleged that the airline is "lying" and called for a "fair enquiry".
"That was a lie, Air India is lying. It was announced by the captain," he told the news agency ANI.
According to a flight tracking website, Flightradar, the aircraft took off from Thiruvananthapuram around 8:17 pm and landed in Chennai at 10:35 pm. It then took off at 1:40 am and reached Delhi at 3:58 am.
A day after the incident, sources from the DGCA said that the diversion was a part of a precautionary measure after the Chennai ATC flagged debris on the runway.
Air India has been under the scanner, especially since the deadly June 12 crash in which 241 passengers onboard and 19 others on ground were killed. Last week, two passengers travelling from San Francisco to Mumbai aboard an Air India flight found cockroaches inside the aircraft. Though the airlines accepted their mistake and apologised for "any inconvenience caused to the passengers," it trivialised the incident by saying, "Despite our regular fumigation efforts, insects can sometimes enter an aircraft during ground operations."
