Photo: Reuters
Dubai - There were 118 passengers on board the aircraft.
An Air India Express flight from Dubai to Mangalore was diverted to Kochi on Tuesday morning because of bad weather.
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“Air India flight from Dubai to Mangalore was diverted and landed at the Cochin International Airport due to bad weather conditions in Mangalore,” said ACK Nair, Director of Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).
A senior Air India Express official told Khaleej Times: "The Air India Express flight from Dubai was diverted to Kochi due to poor weather conditions in Mangalore. It was a routine weather-related diversion and not an emergency landing."
The aircraft landed in Kochi at 3am. He added, "There were 180 passengers on board and they departed from Kochi on the same aircraft 7.30 am Tuesday morning."
"Emergency landings usually take place when the aircraft suffers a technical issue of some kind and they land at an airport that is closest to them. This was a purely weather -related issue which is purely beyond the control of airline or the aircraft," he stated.
There are reports of heavy rainfall in the Indian city of Mangalore, hence, the aircraft was diverted amidst low visibility considering the safety of the passengers.
waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com
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