A full emergency was declared at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport here on Sunday after an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Thiruvananthapuram made a safe emergency landing by 5.40 a.m. Flight IX 540, with 156 persons on board, including crew, had developed a technical snag in its nose wheel.
According to the airport sources, the pilot of the aircraft requested the air traffic control unit to make arrangements for an emergency landing after noticing the “tread of the tyre fitted to the nose wheel coming off in some areas.” The airport authorities responded swiftly by taking emergency measures. Around 10 ambulances were called in from neighbouring areas as a precautionary measure.
Aircraft towed away
The runway was cleared and the plane reportedly made a safe landing. The aircraft was later towed away to the parking bay after all the passengers disembarked. All passengers were safe during the landing and no flights were diverted because of the emergency landing, airport sources said.
Soon after the landing, the emergency was withdrawn and air operations were declared normal. Aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will hold an investigation into the incident. There was no immediate comment from the Air India Express on the incident.
Same day in 2021
A Boeing 737 aircraft of Air India Express with 104 passengers onboard made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport on the same day in 2021 after it developed hydraulic failure while on its way from Sharjah to the Karipur international airport.
Last week, a 34-year-old trainee pilot flying a Cessna-172 R aircraft had a miraculous escape after the aircraft veered off the runway during take-off at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. The aircraft dropped from around a height of 5 feet and veered off the runway, ploughing through the open ground adjacent to the runway before turning upside down.
