An AirAsia India flight from Jaipur to Hyderabad with 70 passengers on board developed a technical snag during the flight, forcing the pilot to shut an engine before landing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday.
The flight landed at 1.30 pm as per schedule and the passengers for the onward journey to Bengaluru was accommodated in another flight, AirAsia sources said.
"VT-IXC, operating as i51543 from Jaipur to Hyderabad on May 26, 2020 encountered a technical issue and carried out a precautionary engine shut down. Handling the situation calmly and in a professional manner, the crew landed at Shamshabad, as scheduled," AirAsia India's spokesperson said in a statement.
The airline is carrying out a detailed inspection of the aircraft and has informed the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about the incident, it said, adding that it is assisting in the investigation to establish the cause.
Asserting that its pilots and crew are experienced and well trained to manage these situations, AirAsia India further said it would like to reiterate that 'Safety First' is a core value and the safety of its guests and crew is the single most important criteria in every aspect of operations.
The airline apologised for the delay on the subsequent flight and confirmed that the passengers have been re-accommodated.
After a two-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, domestic flights resumed in India on Monday with 532 flights carrying 39,231 passengers to their destinations. Around 630 flights were cancelled.
Thousands of passengers reached airports early in the morning on Monday only to be told by the staff of airlines that some of their flights have been cancelled, causing hardship to them. Many people also took to social media to vent their anger. Gripped by anxiety and uncertainty, some came from faraway towns and were on the road for several hours wanting to catch the first flight to their respective states.
The varied COVID-19 quarantine and self-isolation rules in states and also the Union Health Ministry guidelines for arriving travellers also compounded their travel woes.