An Air India flight, AI 2455, travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, was forced to make an emergency landing at Chennai airport late Sunday night. The reason cited was a radar malfunction.
Several prominent politicians were on board the flight. AI 2455, which departed from Thiruvananthapuram, carried four Members of Parliament from Kerala (Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, UDF convenor Adur Prakash, senior Congress leader Kodikunnil Suresh, and K. Radhakrishnan), along with Tamil Nadu MP Robert Bruce.
Speaking to the media immediately after landing, K.C. Venugopal stated that a major accident could have occurred, but they narrowly escaped.
He explained that the aircraft experienced a radar problem, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing. "We were in the air for about an hour and ten minutes before landing," he said. "I have already informed the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about this matter."
Passengers reported that another aircraft was present on the runway as the plane approached for landing, creating a dangerous situation. According to Adur Prakash, the pilots had to make a sudden decision to abort the landing.
He stated, "Just as we were about to land, we saw another aircraft on the runway. The plane immediately ascended and circled in the air for about half an hour before making a safe landing. The crew handled the situation professionally."
However, all passengers are safe. Sources indicated that a technical malfunction in the aircraft's radar system was the initial cause, but the presence of another aircraft on the runway during the first landing attempt exacerbated the seriousness of the situation.
Airport officials have yet to release an official statement. The DGCA will now investigate the technical malfunction and the sequence of events that led to the aborted landing.
