Air India Express Flight Makes Precautionary Landing in Kochi

The flight, operated as Air India Express IX 398, was carrying 160 passengers when it was diverted from its original destination of Kozhikode to Kochi on Thursday morning. The decision was taken after concerns were raised about damage to the aircraft’s tyres during the journey.

Cochin International Airport Limited, the company that operates Kochi airport, said the aircraft landed safely at 9.07am local time under full emergency preparedness. Airport authorities activated all emergency services ahead of the landing as a precautionary measure.

“All emergency services were activated in advance, and there were no injuries reported among passengers or crew,” a spokesperson for Cochin International Airport Limited said in a statement. “Post-landing inspection confirmed that both right-side tyres had burst.”

The airport operator added that the runway was inspected and cleared after the landing and was later reopened for normal flight operations, indicating that there was no lasting disruption to airport activity.

Air India Express, the low-cost international subsidiary of the Air India group, described the incident as a precautionary diversion rather than an emergency. An airline spokesperson said the issue was linked specifically to the aircraft’s tyres and not to its landing gear system.

“The Jeddah–Kozhikode flight was diverted to Kochi and made a precautionary landing due to suspected damage to the aircraft’s tyre, likely caused by a foreign object on the runway at Jeddah airport,” the spokesperson said. “The aircraft landed safely in Kochi, and all guests are being connected to Kozhikode by road.”

The airline also sought to reassure passengers and the wider public that safety procedures had been followed throughout the incident. “We regret the inconvenience caused and reiterate that safety remains our highest priority in every aspect of our operations,” the spokesperson added.

There was some initial variation in how the incident was described by different authorities. While the airport operator referred to the event as an emergency landing, airline officials later clarified that it was precautionary in nature.

An Air India Express official said that inspections showed only the tyres had been affected and that there were no faults detected in the landing gear itself. The official also noted that Kozhikode’s Karipur airport is a table-top airport, meaning it is located on elevated terrain with limited runway overrun areas, which can influence operational decisions when technical concerns arise.

“All passengers were safe, and there was no danger to the aircraft during landing,” the official said, adding that diverting to Kochi was considered the safest option under the circumstances.

Passengers were later transported onward to Kozhikode by road, according to the airline. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew, and there were no reports of panic or disorder during the diversion and landing.

Context Aviation safety experts note that precautionary landings are a standard part of global airline operations and are carried out whenever pilots or ground staff detect a potential technical issue that could affect flight safety.

Tyre damage can occur for several reasons, including debris on airport runways, known in the aviation industry as foreign object debris. Airlines and airport operators routinely inspect runways and aircraft to reduce such risks, but unexpected damage can still occur.

Kozhikode International Airport, officially known as Calicut International Airport, has been the subject of increased safety focus in recent years due to its table-top design. Such airports require additional caution during landings, particularly when weather conditions or technical concerns are present.

The incident comes amid heightened attention on aviation safety in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing air travel markets. Indian aviation authorities have repeatedly stressed that diversions and precautionary landings reflect adherence to safety protocols rather than operational failure.

Both Air India Express and Cochin International Airport Limited said they were cooperating fully with standard post-incident checks. No further disruption to flights was reported following the landing, and normal airport operations resumed shortly afterwards.