An Air India aircraft (flight AI 2455) from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi made an emergency landing at Chennai airport late on Sunday night after a radar malfunction, with several senior political leaders on board.
According to NDTV, the incident occurred on 10 August when, during the first landing attempt, the situation became more dangerous after another aircraft was spotted on the runway.
The passengers included four MPs from Kerala — Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, United Democratic Front convenor Adoor Prakash, veteran Congress leader Kodikunnil Suresh, and K Radhakrishnan — as well as Tamil Nadu MP Robert Bruce.
KC Venugopal told reporters they narrowly avoided a major accident. He said the pilots detected the radar problem about one hour and ten minutes after take-off and diverted to Chennai. The matter has been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Adoor Prakash described panic among passengers when the aircraft was seconds from touchdown and the pilots abruptly pulled up after spotting another plane on the runway. The aircraft circled for about 30 minutes before landing safely, he said, praising the crew for remaining calm.
No injuries were reported, but the incident has raised concerns over air traffic management and the risk of runway incursions.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar shows the aircraft took off from Thiruvananthapuram at 8:17 pm and landed in Chennai at 10:35 pm. It later departed for Delhi at 1:40 am and arrived at 3:58 am.
The radar malfunction was the initial reason for the diversion, but the presence of another aircraft on the runway during the first landing attempt heightened the danger.
Air India has faced increased scrutiny in recent weeks. On 12 June, an accident killed 241 passengers and 19 people on the ground. Last week, passengers on a San Francisco–Mumbai flight spotted cockroaches on board, prompting an apology from the airline, which said insects can occasionally enter during ground operations despite regular fumigation.