- KC Venugopal claimed AI 2455 flight faced runway danger at Chennai airport during diversion
- Air India denied two aircraft were on the same runway, citing precaution and poor weather
- Directorate of Civil Aviation confirmed diversion due to weather radar fault and debris on runway
A senior Congress leader's social media post about an alleged runway horror at Chennai airport has snowballed into a political row after Air India disagreed with the politician's claim.
Last night, KC Venugopal, Alapuzzha MP and Congress general secretary, posted about a harrowing journey. He said Air India's AI 2455 Thiruvananthapuram-Delhi flight, in which he, several other MPs, and hundreds of passengers were travelling, "came frighteningly close to tragedy".
"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. 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 said.
"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," the Congress MP added in his post on X.
Soon after, Air India responded to the Congress leader. The airline said that the flight's diversion to Chennai was "precautionary" and denied the claim that two aircraft were on the same runway.
"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. 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," Air India said.
Asked about Air India's response, Mr Venugopal told news agency ANI, "That is a lie, Air India is lying. It was announced by the Captain." He said he had spoken to the aviation regulator and demanded an inquiry into the matter.
NDTV reached out to the Directorate of Civil Aviation, India's aviation regulator, about the MP's post. A source from the regulator said the Air India flight was diverted to Chennai due to a weather radar malfunction. The source said the aircraft landed safely and no deficiency was found during inspection. A transreceiver, however, was replaced with as a precautionary step.
The source added that the aircraft orbited over Chennai to burn fuel and avoid an overweight landing. When the aircraft was approaching the landing, the Air Traffic Control informed the pilots about 'debris on the runway'. The aircraft then made a go-around and landed safely, the source said.
With Air India rejecting Mr Venugopal's claim of two aircraft being on the same runway, senior BJP leader Amit Malviya demanded that the Congress leader be put on a no-fly list if he is found spreading falsehoods about air safety.
"This is extremely serious. If senior Congress leader KC Venugopal claims an Air India flight had to abort landing in Chennai because another aircraft was on the runway and the airline immediately contradicts him, then one of them is misrepresenting facts.
"Aviation safety is paramount, and social media posts from supposedly responsible people cannot go unscrutinised. If the allegation is true, Chennai ATC and Air India have much to answer for. If not, Mr Venugopal should face consequences, including being put on a no-fly list for spreading falsehoods," Mr Malviya said on X.
Aviation safety in India has come under the spotlight after the tragic crash of AI-171 in Ahmedabad in June. The horrifying crash, which left 260 people dead, has prompted probes into airlines' safety protocols and aircraft maintenance. Amid the scare surrounding air travel, every emergency landing due to precautionary reasons has raised alarms as airlines have tried to reassure passengers that their safety is the priority.
