Congress MP KC Venugopal has reportedly written a letter to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, calling for a comprehensive investigation into alleged safety lapses on an Air India flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi.
Venugopal, who was on the flight with several other MPs on Sunday, claimed the incident involved a 'heart-stopping' moment and raised serious concerns about passenger safety.
In the letter, which was shared by news agencies, Venugopal reiterated his claim of a runway scare, stating that during the first landing attempt at Chennai airport, the pilot aborted the landing when the aircraft was only '30-40 feet' above the ground.
He wrote that passengers were subsequently informed by the captain that the go-around was due to 'something'—reportedly another aircraft—on the runway. The plane landed safely on its second attempt, after which passengers were moved to another aircraft and flown to Delhi past midnight.
Air India, in a statement on Monday, rejected Venugopal's claim about another aircraft being on the runway. The airline explained that the flight, AI 2455, was diverted to Chennai as a precautionary measure due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions.
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Air India stated that during the first landing approach, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) had instructed the pilots to perform a go-around because a departing aircraft had reported a suspected foreign object debris (FOD) on the runway. The airline asserted that its pilots are well-trained to handle such situations and that they followed standard procedures throughout the flight.
In his letter, Venugopal highlighted the seriousness of the incident by referencing the recent Air India plane crash on June 12 and other mid-air technical incidents. He called the airline's response "unacceptable" and accused it of 'opacity.'
Venugopal’s letter urged the Ministry to 'order a comprehensive and time-bound investigation into this incident, covering both technical and procedural aspects, and to ensure that the findings are made public in full.' He also requested that clear accountability be fixed, operational protocols for runway safety be strengthened, and that passengers receive 'truthful and timely communication in such situations.'
Also Read: Cong MP KC Venugopal claims runway scare after AI flight diverted
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