An Air India Express flight from Kerala to Saudi Arabia made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on Saturday morning after the pilots noticed a crack in the windshield. The plane took off from Thiruvananthapuram international airport at 7.52am and just about an hour later the pilots detected a crack in the windshield. They then turned back the flight and landed in Thiruvananthapuram at 8.50am.
Air India Express spokesperson said that Air India Express flight en route Saudi Arabia had to make a precautionary landing at Thiruvananthapuram international airport after a crack in the windshield of the aircraft was detected. “The plane had no passengers & was only carrying cargo and crew members,” AI spokesperson said.
“All the crew members, including the pilots, are safe,” said CV Ravindran, director of Thiruvananthapuram
airport. The flight was going to bring back Indian passengers from Damman in Saudi Arabia as part of the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, according to Ravindran.
In June, Air India Express, the budget wing of national carrier Air India, operated the country’s first international flight with the crew fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The flight, IX 191, operated from Delhi to Dubai. Normal flight operations came to a halt in March last year after a nationwide lockdown was imposed.
Flight movements resumed in the form of rescue operation as the Centre started Vande Bharat Mission to evacuate Indians stranded in other countries. Air India Express has been a part of the mission.