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An Air India Express flight from Jeddah to Kozhikode with 160 passengers on board made a precautionary landing at Cochin International Airport on Thursday after a technical issue involving the aircraft’s tyres, officials said.
The aircraft, operating as flight IX 398, was diverted to Kochi after the issue was detected mid-flight. Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) said it facilitated the landing under full emergency conditions, with the aircraft touching down safely at 9.07 am. All emergency services were activated in advance, and there were no injuries to passengers or crew.
According to CIAL, a post-landing inspection confirmed that both tyres on the right main landing gear had burst. The runway was subsequently cleared and released for normal operations, and there was no disruption to scheduled flights.
Air India Express said the flight was diverted and made a precautionary landing due to suspected damage to the aircraft’s tyre, likely caused by a foreign object on the runway at Jeddah airport. The airline said there were no issues with the landing gear itself and clarified that only the tyres were affected. It also stated that the landing was precautionary, noting that Kozhikode’s Karipur airport is a tabletop airport.
“The aircraft landed safely in Kochi, and all guests are being connected to Kozhikode by road. We regret the inconvenience caused and reiterate that safety remains our highest priority,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.
Earlier, CIAL had described the landing as an emergency landing due to a technical issue involving the right main landing gear and tyre failure, reiterating that all safety protocols were followed and no injuries were reported.
Separately, a few days earlier, an IndiGo aircraft suffered a tail strike while landing at Ranchi airport on December 12. The Bhubaneswar–Ranchi flight, carrying around 70 passengers, experienced a jolt when the tail of the aircraft touched the runway, but all passengers were safe.
Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar said the aircraft was later found technically ineligible for takeoff, leading to the cancellation of its next departure to Bhubaneswar. Some passengers cancelled their journeys, others rescheduled, and some were transported by road.
(With input from agencies)
The aircraft, operating as flight IX 398, was diverted to Kochi after the issue was detected mid-flight. Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) said it facilitated the landing under full emergency conditions, with the aircraft touching down safely at 9.07 am. All emergency services were activated in advance, and there were no injuries to passengers or crew.
According to CIAL, a post-landing inspection confirmed that both tyres on the right main landing gear had burst. The runway was subsequently cleared and released for normal operations, and there was no disruption to scheduled flights.
Air India Express said the flight was diverted and made a precautionary landing due to suspected damage to the aircraft’s tyre, likely caused by a foreign object on the runway at Jeddah airport. The airline said there were no issues with the landing gear itself and clarified that only the tyres were affected. It also stated that the landing was precautionary, noting that Kozhikode’s Karipur airport is a tabletop airport.
“The aircraft landed safely in Kochi, and all guests are being connected to Kozhikode by road. We regret the inconvenience caused and reiterate that safety remains our highest priority,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.
Earlier, CIAL had described the landing as an emergency landing due to a technical issue involving the right main landing gear and tyre failure, reiterating that all safety protocols were followed and no injuries were reported.
Separately, a few days earlier, an IndiGo aircraft suffered a tail strike while landing at Ranchi airport on December 12. The Bhubaneswar–Ranchi flight, carrying around 70 passengers, experienced a jolt when the tail of the aircraft touched the runway, but all passengers were safe.
Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar said the aircraft was later found technically ineligible for takeoff, leading to the cancellation of its next departure to Bhubaneswar. Some passengers cancelled their journeys, others rescheduled, and some were transported by road.
(With input from agencies)
