AI Express flight hits wall at Tiruchi airport, all passengers safe

Passengers of a Dubai-bound Air India Express flight escaped unhurt after the aircraft hit a wall at the airport here Friday, officials said.

There were 133 passengers and crew members on-board the aircraft, which took off from the airport here and later landed at Mumbai after four hours, they said.

The plane took off from the airport here around 1:20 am for Dubai, but was diverted to Mumbai where it landed at 5:20 am, airline officials said.

The engineering team is assessing the damages, they said, adding that a ferry flight was sent from Kochi to fly the passengers stranded in Mumbai to their destination.

The aircraft's wheels had hit the wall, officials here said.

It is not known whether a technical snag or pilot error led to the incident, the officials here said.

Tamil Nadu Minister Vellamandi Natrajan visited the spot and inspected the damages to the wall, adjacent to a state highway.