Air India Express flight to Visakhapatnam grounded after technical snag

A Visakhapatnam-bound Air India Express flight was cancelled at the Gannavaram Airport on December 18 night due to a technical snag detected before take-off, an airport official said.

Among the passengers were high-profile figures, including former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K Atchennaidu and senior YSRCP leader B Satyanarayana.

"While taxiing, they detected an engine problem, so they (aircraft) returned to the bay and the flight was cancelled," Vijayawada airport director Lakshmikanth Reddy told PTI late on Thursday.

According to Reddy, the aircraft suffered a technical snag around 8:30 pm on Thursday.

Meanwhile, an Air India Express spokesperson said the engine-related problem was identified prior to the departure.

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, the spokesperson said on Friday.

Further, passengers were provided accommodation at a hotel and options for a full refund and complimentary rescheduling of their flight.

The airlines expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and reiterated that safety remained paramount on all aspects of its operations.

The airport officials had said that it was an Air India flight which was cancelled on Thursday night.