'Harrowing journey': KC Venugopal as Trivandrum-Delhi Air India flight makes emergency diversion, lands in Chennai

Congress MP KC Venugopal was among the passengers on an Air India flight.

An Air India flight from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi narrowly escaped a mishap when another flight came on the same runway after the flight was diverted to Chennai due to snag.

The flight, AI 2455, which was carrying several MPs, including Congress secretary KC Venugopal, hit turbulence shortly after takeoff from Thiruvananthpuram. According to Flightradar24.com, the flight took off at around 8 PM from Thiruvanathapuram and landed in Chennai at around 10.35 PM.

Congress MP KC Venugopal described the experience as “frighteningly close to tragedy" in a post shared on X. The post read, “Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi – carrying myself, several MPs, and hundreds of passengers – came frighteningly close to tragedy today."

“What began as a delayed departure turned into a harrowing journey. Shortly after take-off, we were hit by unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later, the Captain announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai," he mentioned.

“For nearly two hours, we circled the airport awaiting clearance to land, until a heart-stopping moment during our first attempt – another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway," he wrote.

“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. We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck," the post further read.

Meanwhile, the airline, in a statement, said, “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."