Senior Congress leader and Public Accounts Committee chairperson KC Venugopal on Sunday claimed that an Air India flight carrying him, several MPs and other
passengers had a “near-tragic” incident while travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi. According to Venugopal, Air India flight AI2455 encountered severe turbulence shortly after takeoff. About an hour into the journey, the captain reported a “flight signal fault” and diverted the plane to Chennai. He further alleged that during the initial landing attempt, another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway, forcing the pilot to abort the landing and circle before touching down safely on the second attempt. Meanwhile, Air India said that the flight was diverted because of a foreign object on the runway.
Full Statement by the Airline
"Air India clarifies that flight AI2455 of 10 August operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi was diverted to Chennai as a precautionary measure after the pilot detected a suspected technical issue and in view of the weather conditions en route to Delhi. It was decided to divert to Chennai instead of Bengaluru as the weather in Chennai was clear.
As the aircraft was overweight for an immediate landing the pilot had to hold over Chennai to reduce weight and no emergency was declared. During the first landing approach, the ATC asked the pilots to initiate a go-around as another aircraft that had taken off from the same runway had reported a suspected foreign object debris (FOD) on the runway. After following a standard go-around, the flight made a normal and safe landing. We would like to reiterate that the decision to divert to Chennai was taken in the best interest of the safety of our passengers and crew.
Our crew are well trained to handle such situations, and in this case, they followed the protocols during the entire flight. All the affected passengers were accommodated on alternative flights to Delhi and the said aircraft has also resumed commercial operations. Air India deeply regrets any inconvenience caused by the diversion and consequent delay."
Notably, the aircraft landed safely in Chennai at 10.35 pm, more than two hours after its departure from Thiruvananthapuram. Passengers were told the plane would undergo thorough checks, and alternative travel arrangements were being made.
The incident comes amid reports of other Air India flights facing technical snags in recent weeks, prompting renewed scrutiny of the carrier’s maintenance and operational standards. While no injuries were reported, passengers on AI2455 were left shaken by the sequence of events.
