Two international flights were diverted to Chennai International Airport within about an hour on September 7 after developing technical problems while airborne, prompting emergency response measures at the airport.
The first incident involved Malaysia Airlines flight MH156, an Airbus A330-200 travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah with 186 people on board. The pilot reported a suspected failure involving Engine No. 2 and requested an emergency landing. Chennai airport declared a full emergency at 4:07 p.m., with fire engines, ambulances and other emergency personnel placed on standby. The aircraft landed safely at 4:44 p.m., and all passengers were reported safe.
About an hour later, an Air India Express flight from Tiruchirappalli to Singapore was diverted to Chennai after the pilot reported a technical issue. A local standby was declared at around 5:38 p.m., and the Boeing 737 landed safely at 5:52 p.m. with 180 passengers and crew on board.
Both aircraft were subsequently inspected by their respective technical teams. No injuries were reported, and Chennai airport authorities said normal airport operations continued despite the emergency responses.
News as Reported.
