“We Were Saved by Skill and Luck”: Congress MP KC Venugopal on Harrowing Air India Flight Diversion
New Delhi: A Delhi-bound Air India flight from Thiruvananthapuram, carrying several Members of Parliament including Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, was forced to make an emergency diversion to Chennai on Sunday night following a suspected technical fault and severe turbulence.
Venugopal, in a post on X, described the incident aboard flight AI 2455 as a “frighteningly close” brush with tragedy. The flight, already delayed at departure, encountered intense turbulence shortly after take-off. About an hour into the journey, the pilot announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai.
For nearly two hours, the aircraft circled the city before attempting to land. During the first attempt, the pilot executed a go-around, which Venugopal claimed was due to another aircraft being on the runway. He credited the captain’s swift action for averting disaster, saying, “We were saved by skill and luck.” He urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Civil Aviation Ministry to investigate the matter and ensure accountability.
Air India later issued a clarification, stating that the diversion was precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather, while the go-around was instructed by Chennai Air Traffic Control—not because of another aircraft. “Our pilots are trained to handle such situations and followed standard procedures,” the airline said, expressing regret for the inconvenience.
According to flight tracking data, the aircraft departed Thiruvananthapuram at 8:17 pm, landed in Chennai at 10:35 pm, and resumed its journey at 1:40 am, reaching Delhi at 3:58 am.
The incident adds to recent scrutiny of Air India following the June 12 crash that killed 260 people, and a separate complaint last week where passengers on a San Francisco–Mumbai flight reported finding cockroaches on board.
