transgender . Passengers of an Air India Express flight going from Kannur, Kerala to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) had to face tense moments on Tuesday. Shortly after take-off, the aircraft developed a possible technical fault, due to which the crew had to return to Kannur International Airport. The plane, which took off from Kannur at around 7:03 am, developed a technical snag about 30 minutes later. Following standard safety procedures the pilots decided to return to the origin airport rather than continue the international flight.
However, due to the aircraft being heavily loaded with fuel for the long distance journey to Jeddah, the crew had to reduce the amount of fuel before landing.
The aircraft started circling over the area to drain the fuel safely and completed about 18 circles before reaching Kannur. The plane eventually landed safely at 9 am, much to the relief of passengers and airport officials who were keeping a close eye on the situation. There were a total of 180 passengers on board the plane.
According to initial reports, the aircraft had recently developed an auxiliary power unit (APU) related problem. The problem was resolved and the aircraft was cleared for operation.
Officials are now carrying out a detailed investigation to find out whether the previous problem was related to a technical glitch that occurred during the flight.
The aircraft is expected to undergo further investigation by airport authorities and technical teams before it is cleared for service again.
This incident highlights the importance of safety procedures followed by flight crew during technical emergencies.
The decision to return to Kannur and dump fuel was taken as a precautionary measure, to ensure that the aircraft could land within the safe weight limits. The stressed passengers were later looked after by airline officials and their onward travel arrangements would be made after necessary checks, officials said.
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