A social media post by senior Congress leader KC Venugopal alleging a near-tragedy at Chennai airport has triggered a political and aviation controversy, with Air India strongly disputing his claims.
Venugopal, Congress general secretary and Alappuzha MP, said his Air India AI 2455 flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi — carrying him, several MPs, and hundreds of passengers — encountered severe turbulence and was diverted to Chennai due to a flight signal fault. According to him, during the first landing attempt, “another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway,” forcing the pilot into a dramatic pull-up before a safe second landing.
“We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck,” Venugopal wrote on X, urging the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to investigate.
Air India, however, issued a public rebuttal, saying the diversion was “precautionary” due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather. The airline insisted that the go-around was instructed by Chennai ATC because of runway debris — not the presence of another aircraft — and stressed that pilots followed standard safety procedures.
DGCA sources backed Air India’s account, saying the diversion was caused by a weather radar malfunction. They confirmed the aircraft orbited over Chennai to burn fuel, and that the go-around was ordered due to debris on the runway. A transreceiver was replaced as a precaution.
Venugopal, doubling down, told reporters, “That is a lie. Air India is lying. It was announced by the Captain,” and confirmed he had spoken to DGCA demanding a probe.
The row has drawn political fire, with BJP leader Amit Malviya calling for Venugopal to face consequences — including possible placement on a no-fly list — if he is found to have spread false information on aviation safety.
The dispute comes amid heightened public concern over air travel safety in India following the June crash of AI-171 in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people, prompting intensified scrutiny of airline safety standards.
