New Delhi: The diversion of a Delhi-bound Air India flight, having quite a lot of Opposition leaders amongst different passengers on board, from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai Sunday, has run into conflicting claims, with BJP being attentive to “extraordinarily critical” concern.

The occasion focused Congress basic secretary (organisation) Ok.C. Venugopal, who was on the flight, over his declare on social media that the plane was made to go round on its first try to land in Chennai as a result of there was one other aircraft on the runway. This was after Air India contradicted Venugopal in an announcement.

“A go-around was instructed by Chennai ATC (Air Site visitors Management) through the first tried touchdown at Chennai airport, not due to the presence of one other plane on the runway. Our pilots are well-trained to deal with such conditions, and on this case, they adopted normal procedures all through the flight,” Air India mentioned on X.

When contacted, Venugopal, who’s the Lok Sabha MP from Kerala’s Alappuzha, instructed ThePrint the announcement that the aircraft was making a go-around because of the presence of one other plane on the runway “was made by the captain himself”. He added that he has additionally raised the matter with the Directorate Common of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Earlier Sunday, Venugopal had posted on X: “Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi – carrying myself, a number of MPs, and lots of of passengers – got here frighteningly near tragedy at this time. What started as a delayed departure changed into a harrowing journey. Shortly after take-off, we have been hit by unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later, the Captain introduced a flight sign fault and diverted to Chennai.”

“For practically two hours, we circled the airport awaiting clearance to land, till a heart-stopping second throughout our first try – one other plane was reportedly on the identical runway. In that break up second, the Captain’s fast resolution to drag up saved each life on board. The flight landed safely on the second try,” he added.

BJP chief Amit Malviya, highlighting Air India’s response, mentioned that if the model of the airline was true, then Venugopal “ought to face penalties, together with being placed on a no-fly record for spreading falsehoods”.

“”That is extraordinarily critical. If senior Congress chief Ok.C. Venugopal claims an Air India flight needed to abort touchdown in Chennai as a result of one other plane was on the runway and the airline instantly contradicts him, then considered one of them is misrepresenting info. Aviation security is paramount, and social media posts from supposedly accountable individuals can’t go unscrutinised,” Malviya wrote on X Monday.

“If the allegation is true, Chennai ATC and Air India have a lot to reply for. If not, Mr Venugopal ought to face penalties, together with being placed on a no-fly record for spreading falsehoods,” he added.

Aside from Venugopal, the opposite leaders on the flight have been United Democratic Entrance convener Adoor Prakash, Congress chief whip within the Lok Sabha Ok. Suresh, occasion MP from Tamil Nadu Robert Bruce and CPI(M) MP Ok. Radhakrishnan.

In its assertion, Air India mentioned the flight made a precautionary diversion to Chennai on account of a suspected technical concern and given the climate circumstances en route. “The flight landed safely in Chennai, the place the plane will endure the mandatory checks. We remorse the inconvenience brought on to the affected passengers,” it mentioned.

Sunday’s is the second incident of a flight carrying political leaders getting hit by turbulence. In Might, a Srinagar-bound Indigo flight from Delhi that had 5 Trinamool Congress leaders on board had run into intense turbulence, resulting in the aircraft struggling some structural injury, earlier than it landed safely.

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)

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Additionally Learn: ‘Extra cautious than vibrant’—ThePrint’s reporting on the Air India crash put info first

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