Video: Sharjah-bound Air India Express flight faces mid-air emergency, lands after circling Trichy airport for 2 hours
The Boeing 737 with 141 passengers circled over Trichy to burn fuel before safely landing
Trichy: The Air India Express flight from Tiruchirapalli to Sharjah landed safely at Tiruchirapalli airport after experiencing issues with its landing gear, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) monitored the situation, and the airport was put on alert mode during the incident.
"The Air India Express Flight IX 613 from Tiruchirapalli to Sharjah has landed safely at Tiruchirapalli airport. DGCA was monitoring the situation. The landing gear was opening. The flight has landed normally. The airport was put on alert mode," MoCA
Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation said that a big accident was averted due to coordination between the pilot, ATC and Airport Director.
"A flight of Air India Express going from Trichy Airport to Sharjah, had to be landed back at Trichy airport due to hydraulic failure. It took 2 hours to land because the pilots wanted to reduce the fuel so the aircraft flew in the air for 2 hours at a height of about 4000 feet. Later it landed safely. Today, 150 people including the pilot crew and migrants, all landed safely and a big accident was averted here due to coordination between the pilot, ATC and Airport Director," Murlidhar Mohol said.
All 140 passengers on the Air India Express flight from Tiruchirapalli to Sharjah were safe after the plane landed at Tiruchirapalli airport on Friday evening, the sources in the airline said.
The aircraft, after experiencing a technical snag, circled for more than two hours before landing. Following the landing, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) grounded the aircraft and ordered a probe, said sources.
Air India Express Flight 613, which departed from Tiruchirapalli at 5:30 pm, encountered an issue with its landing gear. The plane circled the city to reduce fuel before safely landing around 8:15 pm. An alternate aircraft has been arranged for the passengers.
An Air India Express spokesperson stated, "We are aware of media reports related to an Air India Express flight operating on the Tiruchirapalli - Sharjah route. We would like to clarify that no emergency was declared by the operating crew."
"After reporting a technical snag, the aircraft circled multiple times in the designated area as an abundant precaution, to reduce fuel and weight considering the runway length, before making a safe precautionary landing. The cause of the snag will be duly investigated. In the interim, an alternative aircraft is being arranged for the onward journey of our guests. We regret the inconvenience and reiterate our commitment to prioritising safety in every aspect of our operations," the spokesperson added.
Previously it was reported that the flight experienced a technical problem (hydraulic failure) and was circling in the air to burn off fuel before it could make the landing attempt at Trichy airport, said Airport Director Gopalakrishnan.
To ensure safety, over 20 ambulances and fire tenders were kept on standby at the airport, Gopalakrishnan added.