Owing to bad weather conditions in the Nilgiris, the chopper carrying Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa could not land in Kodanad and returned to the Coimbatore airport.
Following this, the Chief Minister left for the hill station by road from here on Friday.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister arrived at the Kovai airport at 10.50 am by a chartered flight from Chennai. After a rousing welcome by district officials and AIADMK functionaries, she boarded a helicopter to Kodanad at 11.10 am.
Meanwhile, officials including Coimbatore Mayor, Collector, Deputy Speaker, Coimbatore police commissioner and AIADMK functionaries stayed at the airport awaiting confirmation of Chief Minister’s arrival at Kodanad.
However, sources at the airport said that the thick mist and rain at the hill station made landing unsafe and the chopper had to return to Coimbatore.
The chopper landed at the airport by noon and then Jayalalithaa left for the hill station by a car. She reached Kodanad by 1.30 pm.
Meanwhile, AIADMK functionaries said that the Chief Minister would be discharging her official duties from Kodanad for a few weeks.