New Delhi, 11 Aug

Senior Congress leader and Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee KC Venugopal has claimed that an Air India flight carrying him and several other MPs from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi "came frighteningly close to tragedy".

In a statement, the airline said that Air India flight AI2455, flying from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, was diverted to Chennai on Sunday evening due to a technical issue.

In a post on X on Sunday night, Venugopal said, "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 elaborated further, "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. 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. I urge @DGCAIndia and @MoCA_GoI to investigate this incident urgently, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again," the Congress leader wrote.

Responding to Venugopal on X, Air India said, "We would like to clarify that the diversion to Chennai was precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions."

"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," Air India added.

The flight AI2455, operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, was airborne for more than two hours, according to information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.

"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 airline said in a statement earlier.

Air India said the flight landed safely in Chennai, where the aircraft will undergo the necessary checks.

Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destinations at the earliest, Air India said, and regretted the inconvenience caused. Details about the number of passengers were not available.

In recent weeks, there have been instances of Air India's aircraft facing technical snags.