Diu, Doha flights hit by technical snags

Two passenger flights — one operated by IndiGo from Ahmedabad to Diu and another by Air India Express en route from Kozhikode to Doha — were disrupted due to technical snags on Wednesday.

Air India Express flight IX 375, which was heading to Doha, turned back nearly two hours after taking off from the Calicut airport due to a fault in the cabin’s air conditioning system. The flight with 188 people on board, departed Kozhikode at 9.07 am and landed back at 11.12 am.

The airport authorities clarified that the situation did not require an emergency landing. “There was a technical issue with the cabin’s air conditioning that was handled smoothly,” said an airport official.

Air India Express confirmed the malfunction and said it acted quickly to minimise discomfort to passengers. The airline also issued an apology for the disruption, reiterating its commitment to passenger safety.

In second incident, IndiGo flight 6E7966, scheduled to depart from Ahmedabad to Diu, aborted the take-off after pilots detected a technical alert just moments before leaving the runway. “An indication of a technical snag was noticed just before the take-off. The pilots informed the authorities and brought the aircraft back to the bay. The aircraft will undergo necessary checks and maintenance before returning to service,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.