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Air India vs KC Venugopal: 'Near-miss runway tragedy' claim denied, MP says airline 'lying'
Air India denied suggestions by Congress MP KC Venugopal of near-collision during landing attempt at Chennai airport of a diverted Delhi-bound flight.
Air India on Monday rejected Congress MP KC Venugopal's claim that the Thiruvananthapuram-Delhi Air India plane carrying him and several other MPs saw a “heart-stopping” moment as another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway when it made its first attempt to land at Chennai Airport where the flight was diverted to.
Following Air India's clarification, KC Venugopal on Monday said the airline was “lying”.
"That was a lie, Air India is lying. It was announced by captain only," Venugopal told ANI news agency.
KC Venugopal said the flight, with callsign AI 2455, hit turbulence shortly after takeoff from Thiruvananthapuram. According to Flightradar24.com, the flight took off at around 8 pm from Thiruvananthapuram and landed in Chennai at around 10.35 pm on Sunday.
Also Read | 'Saved by skill, luck': Congress MP claims Air India flight came close to tragedy; Airline responds
The Congress leader said in a post on X shortly after 12 am on Monday that the flight, that was carrying several other MPs, came “frighteningly close to tragedy” and was saved by “skill and luck” after the captain's “quick decision”.
What did KC Venugopal claim
KC Venugopal said that what began as a delayed departure turned into a harrowing journey as shortly after take-off, the plane was hit by “unprecedented turbulence”.
About an hour later, the Captain announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai, he claimed in his X post.
He said the aircraft circled the airport awaiting clearance to land for nearly two hours, “until a heart-stopping moment” during the first attempt – “another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway”.
“In that split second, the Captain’s quick decision to pull up saved every life on board. The flight landed safely on the second attempt,” he said, adding: “We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck.”
He urged DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to investigate the incident “urgently, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again.”
What Air India said
Air India, commenting under KC Venugopal's post, clarified that the “diversion to Chennai was precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions.”
A go-around was instructed by Chennai ATC during the first attempted landing at Chennai airport, not because of the presence of another aircraft on the runway, Air India said, adding that its pilots are “well-trained to handle such situations, and in this case, they followed standard procedures throughout the flight.”
“We understand that such an experience can be unsettling and regret the inconvenience the diversion may have caused to you. However, safety is always our priority. Thank you for your understanding,” Air India added.
An Air India spokesperson also confirmed the diversion from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai and cited a technical issue for the same.
"The flight crew of AI2455 operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on 10 August made a precautionary diversion to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue and given the weather conditions en route. The flight landed safely in Chennai, where the aircraft will undergo the necessary checks. We regret the inconvenience caused to the affected passengers. Our colleagues on the ground in Chennai are extending support to the passengers to minimise it and are making alternative arrangements to fly the passengers to their respective destinations at the earliest," the spokesperson said.
