Delhi-Bound Air India Flight With Congress MPs Diverted To Chennai; KC Venugopal Claims ‘Near Miss’
Delhi-Bound Air India Flight With Congress MPs Diverted To Chennai; KC Venugopal Claims ‘Near Miss’
Thiruvananthapuram, August 11, 2025: Congress MP KC Venugopal has claimed that an Air India flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi narrowly escaped disaster after being diverted to Chennai on Sunday night. The aircraft, carrying several Members of Parliament along with other passengers, experienced turbulence and a suspected technical fault before a tense landing attempt.
Venugopal, in a post on X, said Flight AI 2455 departed around 8 PM and was hit by severe turbulence shortly after takeoff. About an hour later, the pilot reported a signal malfunction and diverted the aircraft to Chennai. According to his account, the plane circled the airport for nearly two hours, and during its first landing attempt, “another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway.” He credited the pilot’s quick reaction to abort the landing with saving lives. The flight landed safely on the second attempt at 10:35 PM.
Describing the incident as “frighteningly close to tragedy,” Venugopal called for an immediate investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. “Passenger safety cannot depend on luck,” he wrote.
Air India’s Clarification
The airline denied the allegation that another plane was on the runway. It stated that Chennai Air Traffic Control instructed a go-around for precautionary reasons and that the diversion was prompted by a suspected technical issue combined with poor weather conditions.
“Our pilots handled the situation professionally and followed all safety procedures,” Air India said in its statement, expressing regret for the inconvenience. The aircraft is now undergoing technical inspections in Chennai, and alternate travel arrangements are being made for the affected passengers.
