An Air India Express flight bound for Muscat had to abort takeoff and return to the bay at Thiruvananthapuram Airport on Friday morning after suspected smoke was detected in the aircraft. The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m., according to airline and airport sources.
The flight was carrying 142 passengers at the time. As a precautionary measure, all passengers were offloaded to allow for a thorough inspection of the aircraft. Details on the cause of the suspected smoke or any further action were not immediately available.
An Air India Express spokesperson confirmed that a replacement aircraft has been arranged to continue the journey of the passengers, whom the airline referred to as its ‘guests.’ He added that an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the suspected smoke that led to the flight’s return.
In his statement, the spokesperson apologised for the inconvenience caused but emphasised that passenger safety remains the airline’s top priority. “We regret the inconvenience but place safety at the forefront of all our operations,” he said, reassuring that all necessary precautions were taken to address the situation.