Air India Scare: Congress MP's ‘Close To Tragedy’ Remark Sparks Concern; Airline Issues Statement

Air India aircraft (L); Congress MP KC Venugopal (Credit: File Photos/IANS)

An Air India flight operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi was diverted to Chennai on Sunday after a technical snag was suspected and weather conditions along the route. Meanwhile, Congress leader KC Venugopal was among the passengers onboard the AI 2455 flight. 

In a post on the social media platform X, the Congress MP said that the experience was "frighteningly close to tragedy" and added that shortly after take-off, the aircraft was hit by unprecedented turbulence. He also stated that after around an hour, the Captain announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai. 

The post read, "Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi - carrying myself, several MPs, and hundreds of passengers - came frighteningly close to tragedy today."

"What began as a delayed departure turned into a harrowing journey. Shortly after take-off, we were hit by unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later, the Captain announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai. For nearly two hours, we circled the airport awaiting clearance to land, until a heart-stopping moment during our first attempt - another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway. In that split second, the Captain's quick decision to pull up saved every life on board. The flight landed safely on the second attempt. We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck," the post read.

Venugopal urged aviation authorities to take swift action, saying, "@DGCAIndia and @MoCA_GoI must investigate this incident urgently, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again."

Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi - carrying myself, several MPs, and hundreds of passengers - came frighteningly close to tragedy today.

What began as a delayed departure turned into a harrowing journey. Shortly after take-off, we were hit by unprecedented… — K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) August 10, 2025

Congress MP and a passenger of AI2455, K Suresh, also said that after 45 minutes of flying over the airport, the pilot announced that we were going to land, and the flight landed safely and added that 160 passengers landed safely at the Delhi airport around 4:30 am. 

Speaking to ANI, he said, "Yesterday, at 7:45 PM, the Air India flight started from Trivandrum airport to Delhi... After 1 hour and 10 minutes, the pilot announced that there was a communication problem with the radar system, so we had to go back to Chennai... Then, the pilot announced that we were going to land at Chennai airport, but before touching the runway, the flight again went up at high speed. All the passengers panicked. After 45 minutes of flying over the airport, the pilot announced that we were going to land, and the flight landed safely. 160 passengers landed safely at the Delhi airport around 4:30 AM... Air India and DGCA should inquire into this matter..."

#WATCH | Delhi: On AI2455 operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, making a precautionary diversion to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue, Congress MP and a passenger of AI2455, K Suresh, says "Yesterday, at 7:45 PM, the Air India flight started from Trivandrum airport… https://t.co/rsOaqog6v0 pic.twitter.com/nP4V6p1MyE— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2025

According to Flightradar24, the Air India flight AI2455 was scheduled to depart Thiruvananthapuram at 7:15 pm but took off at 8:17 pm. The flight, originally expected to arrive in Delhi at 10:45 pm, instead landed safely in Chennai.

Air India Response 

Air India spokesperson in a statement informed that the diversion was precautionary and added that the flight landed in Chennai safely.  

ANI quoted the AI spokesperson as saying, "The flight crew of AI2455 operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on August 10 made a precautionary diversion to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue and given the weather conditions en route. The flight landed safely in Chennai, where the aircraft will undergo the necessary checks."

"We regret the inconvenience caused to the affected passengers. Our colleagues on the ground in Chennai are extending support to the passengers to minimise it and are making alternative arrangements to fly the passengers to their respective destinations at the earliest," the airline spokesperson added.

The scare surrounding the flight issues stems from the aftermath of the horrific Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, which crashed on June 12.

(with ANI inputs)