KOCHI, Dec 18: An Air India Express flight from Jeddah to Kozhikode, carrying 160 passengers, made a precautionary landing at Cochin International Airport on Thursday after suspected damage to the aircraft’s tyres, officials confirmed.
The airline stated that a foreign object on Jeddah airport’s runway likely caused the tyre damage. “The aircraft landed safely in Kochi. All passengers are being connected to Kozhikode by road. Safety remains our top priority,” said an Air India Express spokesperson. The spokesperson clarified that only the tyres were affected, with no issues reported in the landing gear.
Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) confirmed that the right-side main tyres had burst and that all emergency services were pre-activated for the landing. “The aircraft landed safely at 9:07 am under full emergency procedures. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew. The runway was cleared and released for operations shortly after,” a CIAL official said.
The airline emphasized that the landing was precautionary, not an emergency, citing the challenges of landing at Karipur airport, which is a table top runway. Passengers were reassured that their safety remained the airline’s highest priority.