KOCHI: It was a miraculous escape for 160 passengers and crew of the Air India Express flight from Jeddah to Calicut, after the pilots realised mid-air that the landing gear developed a technical glitch, caused by multiple tyre bursts. That the flight was heading to the dangerous “table-top” airport at Calicut made the scenario all the more dangerous, and the pilots had to make some quick decisions weighing the limited options before them.
It was decided to divert the Air India Express flight IX 398 as the tabletop airport at Calicut was posing high risk. “Tabletops are risky and challenging to the best of pilots, and here the aircraft landing gear was stuck. So there were no second thoughts to divert the aircraft to nearby airports,” said airline sources.
The pilots were left with the choice to divert the flight to either Mangaluru, Kannur or to two airports in Goa, but they finally chose Kochi airport, given the airport’s preparedness and better facilities, including modern firefighting equipment.
“The preparedness at Kochi airport is world-class. The same was proved in the full-scale mock drill, showcasing the airport’s emergency preparedness, held just a couple of months back, on October 28, 2025. Further, an emergency landing involving a SpiceJet aircraft in a similar scenario was successfully carried out at the airport two years back. Hence it was decided to divert the flight to Kochi airport and make an emergency landing, even as the pilots were trying to gauge the extent of damage to the landing gear and the tyres,”they said.
The pilots quickly contacted the Air Traffic Control unit of the Kochi airport mid air at 8.35 am. An alert was sounded and the airport authorities immediately activated the Emergency Response Plan, without wasting a second.
“The authorities mobilised all relevant operational units, including Airport Fire & Rescue Services (AFRS), medical units, and security personnel, and positioned them along the runway as a precautionary measure. External stakeholders including State Fire & Rescue and State Police also joined them in keeping a high alert and ready to face any eventuality,” an airport spokesperson said. The Air India Express flight touched down safely at Kochi airport at 9.08 am under “full emergency” conditions.
However, what proved crucial in the end was the airport fire safety team spraying “Fire Retardant Foam”all along the course of the dedicated section of runway marked for the emergency landing.
With all the emergency services activated, the aircraft landed safely at 9.08 am. “During landing, sparks could be seen, and markings formed due to the damaged tyres. We were much relieved after it finally came to a halt. Luckily the aircraft didn’t sway too much and the sparks died down even as they formed,” the sources said.
The gravity of the potentially dangerous situation was revealed when a post-landing inspection by technical teams confirmed that both the tyres on the right-side landing gear and the one at the left side had burst. The emergency response system too worked out to perfection.
The markings caused due to the emergency landing were fixed with the help of modern systems.
The aircraft was safely taxied off the runway, which was subsequently inspected for debris and released for normal flight operations shortly thereafter. No passenger or crew suffered any injuries. The teams worked in close coordination and the runway was cleared in just 35 minutes as it was (9 am to 10 am) peak traffic hour.
“All operations were coordinated according to standard procedures, and it is a relief that all passengers and crew are safe and being transported to their destination,” said CIAL managing director S Suhas.
Meanwhile, a section of passengers protested when the airlines informed the passengers that they would be transported to Calicut by road.
“The authorities initially assured us that we would be flown to our original destination in Karipur after a brief halt. However, once the passengers disembarked, the airline shifted its stance, stating we will be transported by bus instead,” said an agitated passenger.
Safe Touchdown
8.35 am: Pilots alert
Kochi ATC
9.08 am: Aircraft lands under full emergency
9.45 am: Runway cleared