Air India Flight Avoids Calamity, According to KC Venugopal, but Airline Refutes Claims
Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal experienced a harrowing ordeal on August 10, 2025, when Air India flight AI 2455, en route from Trivandrum to Delhi, faced a near-crash incident. The flight was diverted to Chennai due to a suspected technical fault and heavy turbulence shortly after takeoff.
While circling the Chennai airport awaiting clearance to land, the flight faced a critical moment when, during the first landing attempt, another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway. The pilot promptly aborted the landing ("go-around") and climbed again, circling for about half an hour before safely landing on the second attempt. Venugopal described the experience as "frighteningly close to tragedy" and credited the captain's quick decision with saving lives.
However, Air India dismissed the idea of a near-crash, stating the diversion and maneuvering were routine safety measures. The airline confirmed the flight landed safely in Chennai, and alternative arrangements were made for passengers to continue to Delhi. There were no injuries reported.
Air India emphasised that all measures followed standard safety protocols, and the landing in Chennai was the result of a technical alert on the flight. The crew, highly trained to handle such events, followed protocol throughout the flight. The plane has been back in operation since the incident.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to investigate the technical snag and the sequence of events that led to the aborted landing, as urged by Venugopal who emphasized the need for accountability to prevent such safety lapses in the future.
The airline chose Chennai over Bengaluru because the weather was clearer there. During the initial landing approach, Air Traffic Control (ATC) asked the pilots to perform a go-around due to suspected foreign object debris (FOD) on the runway. The pilot held over Chennai to lose weight before landing, and no emergency was declared.
The incident caused a delay, and all affected passengers were rerouted to Delhi on alternative flights. Venugopal, who was on board, described the experience as "scary" for dozens of passengers. Air India expressed regret for any inconvenience caused by the diversion and subsequent delay.
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