Air India Flight Carrying MPs Diverted to Chennai, Venugopal Alleges ‘Near Miss’ on Runway

An Air India flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi carrying several MPs, including Congress leader KC Venugopal, was diverted to Chennai on Sunday night due to a suspected technical fault. Venugopal later claimed the aircraft had a “heart-stopping moment” during its first landing attempt when “another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway.”

Flight AI 2455 took off around 8 pm and hit turbulence shortly after departure, Venugopal said. The captain then announced a signal fault and diverted to Chennai, where the plane circled for nearly two hours. “In that split second, the Captain’s quick decision to pull up saved every life on board,” Venugopal wrote on X, adding that the flight landed safely on the second attempt.

Calling the incident “frighteningly close to tragedy,” he urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the civil aviation ministry to investigate, saying passenger safety “cannot depend on luck.”

Air India, however, disputed the “another aircraft on the runway” claim, saying Chennai ATC had instructed a go-around due to weather conditions, not because of runway occupancy. “Our pilots are well-trained to handle such situations, and in this case, they followed standard procedures,” the airline said.

The airline confirmed the diversion was precautionary and the aircraft will undergo checks in Chennai before passengers are flown to their destinations.