CHENNAI: Chennai airport faced operational disruptions on Monday night and Tuesday morning, as post-Deepavali haze caused delay for few flights and a suspected technical glitch resulted in a SpiceJet flight aborting take off.
Heavy smoke from fireworks on Monday reduced visibility across the airfield, forcing air-traffic controllers to stagger departures and arrivals. Airport sources said the disruptions affected 15 flights leading to delays.
On Tuesday, Hyderabad-bound SpiceJet Boeing 737 was forced to abort take-off early in the morning after the pilot detected a technical snag during the take-off roll. Carrying 74 passengers and five crew members, the aircraft came to a safe halt on the runway.
The plane was later towed to the bay for inspection, while SpiceJet arranged alternative travel for affected passengers. Airport officials praised the pilot’s prompt response and strict adherence to safety protocols for averting a potentially serious incident.