Kochi: An Air India Express flight from Jeddah to Kozhikode made a tense emergency landing at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on Thursday morning after a tyre failure triggered a full-scale aviation emergency, sending shivers through the cabin in the final minutes before touchdown.

Flight IX 398, carrying 160 passengers, touched down safely at Kochi at 9.07 am after diverting from Kozhikode due to a technical issue involving the right main landing gear. CIAL spokesperson said that the airport authorities activated full emergency protocols well in advance, with fire tenders, ambulances and rescue teams positioned along the runway.

“All emergency services were placed on standby. The aircraft landed safely and there were no injuries to passengers or crew,” a CIAL statement said. 

“A post-landing inspection confirmed that both right-side tyres of the aircraft had burst. After a thorough runway inspection, operations were briefly halted and later resumed,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Air India Express said the flight made a “precautionary landing” after suspected tyre damage, likely caused by a foreign object on the runway at Jeddah airport.

“The aircraft landed safely in Kochi. All guests are being connected to Kozhikode by road. We regret the inconvenience caused and reiterate that safety remains our highest priority,” an airline spokesperson said.

The airline also said baggage reconciliation was underway and passengers would be transported to Kozhikode by road.

For passengers, however, the ordeal began much earlier. Arun, one of those on board, told the media that the aircraft experienced violent jerks during take-off from Jeddah around 1.15 am.

“We felt something was wrong at the rear during take-off itself. It was very shaky. I assumed that it was a tyre-burst. But the pilot initially said it was a technical issue, and the flight continued. Just ten minutes before landing, we were told it was an emergency and that the flight was being diverted to Kochi. Even the landing was rough. We are thankful to God that we are alive,” he said.

Sources said the pilots opted against attempting a landing at Kozhikode International Airport because of its tabletop runway, considered risky in such emergency conditions. Kochi’s wider runway and advanced emergency-handling capabilities reportedly weighed heavily in the decision. 

The caution was underscored by memories of the 2020 Air India Express crash at Kozhikode, in which 21 people lost their lives after an aircraft overshot the tabletop runway.

It is also learnt that Air Traffic Control at Jeddah had alerted the pilots about a possible tyre burst. Why the aircraft continued the long-haul flight instead of attempting an immediate landing remains unclear.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to launch a probe into the incident.