Bengaluru-Bound Air Asia Flight Returns To Kochi Airport Due To Technical Glitch

A full emergency was declared at the airport after the Bengaluru-bound Air Asia flight with 168 passengers returned to Kochi due to a suspected hydraulic failure.

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An Air Asia flight carrying 168 passengers and six crew members air returned just minutes after taking off from the Cochin International Airport here, airport sources said on Monday. The Kochi-Bengaluru flight, which left for Bengaluru late Sunday night, suffered a technical problem soon after taking off at 11.15 PM.

A full emergency was declared at the airport after the flight returned to Kochi due to a suspected hydraulic failure.

It landed at the airport safely at midnight. No casualties or injuries were reported, sources said. The emergency was withdrawn immediately after the safe landing of the aircraft, they added.

Addressing the incident, an Air Asia spokesperson said, "An AIX Connect flight departing from Kochi for Bengaluru, returned back after takeoff due to a minor technical issue. The actions of the crew were in line with the airline protocol of placing safety above all." He added, "We are, meanwhile, making alternate arrangements for the affected guests. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the travel plans."