Delhi-bound Air India flight aborts takeoff in Kochi due to ‘technical issue’

Congress MPs Hibi Eden & Jebi Mather, on board AI 504, claimed the plane ‘skidded’. Airport officials said the aircraft returned to bay & passengers were shifted to another plane.

A Delhi-bound Air India flight diverted to Chennai Sunday is at the centre of conflicting claims | Representative image | ANI

Kochi: Passengers of Air India flight AI 504, scheduled to fly from Kochi to Delhi in the early hours of Monday, faced an unexpected delay after the aircraft aborted the takeoff due to a technical issue and returned to the bay, officials said.

According to Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), the revised time of departure was 1:00 am on Monday.

“A technical issue caused an Air India flight bound for Delhi to abort the takeoff. Air India is rectifying it and has informed Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) that they are changing the aircraft. The expected new time of departure is 0100 hrs”, a CIAL PRO said in
a statement.

The incident came to light after Congress MP Hibi Eden, who was on board the flight, posted on social media that the aircraft seemed to have skidded on the runway.

“Something unusual with this flight AI 504….it just felt like the flight skid on the runway….and hasn’t taken off yet….” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Rajya Sabha MP Jebi Mather, also on board, said the pilot later announced that the aircraft could not be used for travel.

“Now pilot announced…this aircraft cannot be used for travel. So, will be shifting passengers to another aircraft and approx by 1 am,” Mather said.

More details are awaited.