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Air India Flight Carrying Congress MP KC Venugopal Makes Emergency Diversion; Airline Responds News24 –

National
By Correspondent


What was meant to be a routine flight turned into a harrowing journey for several Members of Parliament, including Congress Secretary KC Venugopal, after a Delhi-bound Air India flight was forced to make an emergency diversion to Chennai on Sunday. Flight AI 2455 had departed from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram when it encountered turbulence shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical snag.

According to Flightradar24.com, the flight landed in Chennai at around 10.35 pm. It then took off at 1.40 am and reached the capital at 3.58 am. The Congress MP took to X to share the horrific ordeal, alleging that the plane circled the airport for nearly two hours awaiting clearance to land. He added that the passengers had come “frighteningly close to tragedy.”

Venugopal recounted that the flight, whose departure was already delayed, was hit by “unprecedented turbulence” moments after takeoff. Shortly after, the captain announced a flight signal fault mid-air and diverted the aircraft to Chennai, he added.

“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. 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,” Venugopal wrote.

Venugopal tagged the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation in his post, urging them to investigate the cause of the incident and ensure that no such lapses happen again. While he acknowledged that the captain’s quick decision to pull up saved every life on board, he added that the passengers were saved by both skill and luck.

Airline Responds

Responding to KC Venugopal’s post, the airline said that the flight diversion to Chennai was a precautionary measure due to a suspected technical snag and poor weather conditions. It further clarified that the aircraft performed a go-around based on instructions from the Chennai ATC, not because 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.

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