Malaysia Airlines flight, travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah, made an emergency landing at Chennai International Airport (MAA) on Monday after facing a technical issue with one of its engines. The aircraft, an Airbus A330-200, was carrying 186 passengers when it diverted.
Emergency landing at MAA
Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said the flight departed at 3:30 p.m. A little after the flight took off, the pilot suspected that engine number two was malfunctioning and requested Air Traffic Control (ATC) at MAA for an emergency landing.
At 4:07 local time, MAA arranged all necessary safety measures, and the flight safely landed at 4:44 p.m and was directed to Bay 45.
A senior MAA official told NDTV:
“It was a smooth landing. All passengers are safe.”
There were no reported injuries. Passengers were evacuated safely, their baggage was removed from the aircraft, and they were given accommodation, said an official.
He added:
“The aircraft is grounded now, and the airline is making arrangements for an alternative flight. But it is not clear yet when the flight will depart from the airport.”
A spokesperson for the MAA told India Today:
“Further assessment of the aircraft and the technical issue is being carried out by the airline and relevant technical teams.”
The emergency landing didn’t disrupt other airport operations.
Another emergency landing at MAA
An Air India Express Singapore-bound flight, carrying 180 passengers, departed from Tiruchirappalli diverted to Chennai on Monday due to a technical issue.
The pilot alerted ATC in Chennai, and a local stand-by was announced at the airport at around 5:40 p.m.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, an official said:
“All the 180 passengers, including the crew, are safe. Currently, the Aircraft is on the ground (AOG).”
There were no disruptions to other airport operations.
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