A technical fault on an Air India flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi resulted in an emergency landing in Chennai on Sunday. Flight AI2455, operated by an Airbus A320, was diverted after being airborne for more than two hours, as reported by flight tracking website Flightradar24.
Air India released a statement explaining that the flight crew made the decision to divert the aircraft to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue and the prevailing weather conditions encountered during the flight.
Five Members of Parliament were among the passengers on the flight, along with other travelers and crew members. Air India confirmed that the plane landed safely in Chennai. The passengers included four MPs from Kerala: K.C. Venugopal, Congress General Secretary; Adoor Prakash, UDF convener; Kodikunnil Suresh and K. Radhakrishnan, both senior Congress leaders; and Tamil Nadu MP Robert Bruce.
One of the passengers, K.C. Venugopal, described the event as a near miss, narrowly avoiding a major disaster. He said the emergency landing was caused by a radar problem, and the aircraft was in the air for around one hour and ten minutes before the landing. He also stated that he had already reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Air India confirmed that the aircraft landed safely in Chennai, where it will undergo necessary inspections. The airline is making alternative arrangements to get the passengers to their destinations and expressed regret for any inconvenience. The number of passengers has not been released. According to Flightradar24 data, the flight departed Thiruvananthapuram after 8 PM and landed in Chennai at approximately 10:35 PM.