Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: An Air India Express flight operating between Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam was cancelled after the pilot detected a technical issue before departure, the airline said on December 19. In a statement, Air India Express said that the flight no AIE 4708 returned to the ramp in the interest of safety after the issue was identified during pre-departure checks. Following this, the flight was cancelled as a precautionary measure.
“In the interest of safety, our Vijayawada–Visakhapatnam flight returned to the ramp after the pilot identified a technical issue prior to departure. The flight was subsequently cancelled,” an Air India Express spokesperson said. “Guests were promptly provided with hotel accommodation and refreshments. Guests were also offered options, including a full refund or complimentary rescheduling,” the spokesperson added.
The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and reiterated that passenger safety remains paramount in all aspects of its operations. In a separate recent incident reported earlier this week, an Air India Express flight from Jeddah to Kozhikode was diverted to Kochi after suspected damage to the aircraft’s tyre, likely caused by a foreign object on the runway at Jeddah Airport.
The aircraft made a safe landing in Kochi, with emergency procedures activated as a precaution. “Our Jeddah-Kozhikode flight was diverted to Kochi and made a precautionary landing due to suspected damage to the aircraft’s tyre likely caused by a foreign object on the runway at Jeddah airport,” the airline stated.
