Congress leader KC Venugopal has claimed that an Air India flight carrying several MPs and passengers “came frighteningly close to tragedy” during a diversion to Chennai on Sunday night. The airline, however, has rejected his version of events, saying there was no other aircraft on the runway.

Venugopal, in a post on X shortly after midnight on Monday, said flight AI 2455 from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi faced severe turbulence shortly after takeoff. An hour into the journey, the pilot announced a signal fault and diverted the flight to Chennai. According to him, the aircraft circled for nearly two hours before attempting to land — but had to abort the first attempt because another plane was “reportedly” on the same runway. The flight landed safely on its second approach.

He credited the pilot’s quick decision for avoiding disaster and urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Civil Aviation Ministry to investigate. “Passenger safety cannot depend on luck,” Venugopal wrote, calling for accountability to prevent similar incidents.

Air India’s Response

Air India disputed the MP’s account, stating that the diversion was precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions. The airline said the go-around — when an aircraft aborts a landing — was instructed by Chennai Air Traffic Control during the first attempt, not because of another plane on the runway.

“Our pilots followed standard procedures throughout the flight. We understand the experience can be unsettling and regret the inconvenience, but safety is always our top priority,” Air India said in a statement.

A company spokesperson added that the aircraft is undergoing technical checks in Chennai and alternative travel arrangements are being made for passengers.

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