August 12, 2025

A tense drama unfolded in the skies when Air India flight AI 2455, going from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, was forced to divert to Chennai. Onboard was Congress leader K C Venugopal, Chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, along with several other MPs and hundreds of passengers. What started as a delayed take-off soon turned into a scary experience for everyone. Venugopal took to social media to relay the hair-raising journey. He said, "Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi -- carrying myself, several MPs and hundreds of passengers -- came frighteningly close to tragedy today." According to him, just after takeoff, the plane hit strong, "unprecedented turbulence." An hour later, the captain announced a flight signal fault and decided to divert the plane to Chennai. The tension didn’t end there. Venugopal described how the plane had to circle Chennai airport for nearly two hours, waiting for landing clearance. During the first landing attempt, "another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway," leading the pilot to suddenly pull up and circle again. "The Captain's quick decision to pull up saved every life on board. The flight landed safely on the second attempt," Venugopal said. He was vocal about the dangers: "We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck. I urge @DGCAIndia and @MoCA_GoI to investigate this incident urgently, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again." In reply, Air India issued a firm statement clarifying the facts. They said the diversion was "precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions." Responding to the near-miss claim, the airline explained, "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." They added, "Our pilots are well-trained to handle such situations, and in this case, they followed standard procedures throughout the flight." Air India expressed regret for the inconvenience but stressed, "safety is always our priority." However, Venugopal did not back down. In a statement to ANI on Monday, he alleged, "Air India is lying" regarding the runway incident and insisted that an official inquiry must take place. "It was announced by the pilot that there was another aircraft on the runway when we were going to land. I spoke to DGCA as well. Let them have an inquiry. Air India is lying," he said. Flight tracking data shows the Airbus A320 was airborne for more than two hours. The plane eventually landed safely in Chennai, where it is set for necessary checks. The aviation community and passengers now await the DGCA’s investigation to uncover what really happened during that nerve-wracking flight.

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Tags: Air india flight diversion, K c venugopal, Flight safety, Dgca, Technical issue, Aviation incident,