An Air India Express flight scheduled to travel from Vijayawada to Visakhapatnam was abruptly cancelled on Thursday night after the pilots identified a technical fault in the aircraft's engine during pre-flight procedures.
VIP Passengers Among Those Affected
The incident, which occurred at Vijayawada's Gannavaram Airport on December 18, impacted several high-profile individuals. The passenger manifest included former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Andhra Pradesh's Agriculture Minister K Atchennaidu, and senior YSRCP leader B Satyanarayana.
Timeline of the Technical Disruption
According to airport director Lakshmikanth Reddy, the issue was detected around 8:30 PM while the aircraft was taxiing for take-off. "While taxiing, they detected an engine problem, so they returned to the bay and the flight was cancelled," Reddy stated. An official spokesperson for Air India Express confirmed the sequence of events on Friday, emphasizing that the problem was identified prior to departure.
The airline's statement clarified, "In the interest of safety, our Vijayawada – Visakhapatnam flight returned to the ramp after the pilot identified a technical issue prior to departure. The flight was subsequently cancelled."
Airline's Response and Passenger Care
Following the cancellation, Air India Express took immediate steps to assist the stranded passengers. The airline provided the following options:
- Accommodation at a hotel for affected travellers.
- A choice between a full refund for the cancelled ticket.
- Complimentary rescheduling onto another flight.
The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and reiterated that safety remains its paramount concern in all operations. Airport officials later confirmed that the cancelled service was an Air India Express flight, correcting an initial reference to it being an Air India flight.
