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KC Venugopal Claims Air India Flight Carrying MPs ‘Came Frighteningly Close To Tragedy’ After Diversion To Chennai; Airline Says Safety Procedures Followed

Senior Congress leader and chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee KC Venugopal said on Sunday that an Air India flight that had him, some MPs, and other passengers on board ‘came frighteningly close to tragedy’ on August 10 during its flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi.

The airline, however, dismissed the idea of a near-crash, saying the diversion and maneuvering were routine safety measures.

Turbulence and Technical Alert

Venugopal said the AI2455 flight encountered heavy turbulence after taking off from Thiruvananthapuram. “An hour later, the captain spoke and said there was a ‘flight signal fault’ and we would be landing at Chennai,” said the Congress leader.

He also claimed that when they initially attempted to land in Chennai, another plane was supposedly on the same runway, so the pilot had to go around and land safely on the second attempt. “It was a scary experience for dozens of passengers,” Venugopal said.

Air India’s Explanation

Air India released a point-by-point statement on Sunday, explaining that the diversion was a ‘precautionary step’ after the pilot in command encountered a suspectedtechnical snag and weather conditions while flying towards Delhi. Chennai was preferred over Bengaluru since the weather there was clear.

“As the aircraft was heavy for an immediate landing, the pilot held over Chennai to lose weight, and no emergency was declared,” the airline stated.

In the initial landing approach, Air Traffic Control (ATC) asked the pilots to carry out a go-around after another plane leaving the same runway had reported suspected foreign object debris (FOD) on the runway. “Following a normal go-around, the flight landed safely and normally,” the statement further said.

Protocols were Followed: Air India

The airline underscored that all measures followed standard safety protocols. “Our crew is highly trained to deal with such events, and in this instance, they followed the protocol on the entire flight,” Air India stated.

All passengers affected were rerouted to Delhi on alternative flights, and the plane has been back in operation since then. “Air India regrets any inconvenience caused by the diversion and subsequent delay,” the statement read.