Air India flight to Visakhapatnam canceled after technical glitch

An Air India flight bound for Visakhapatnam was canceled at Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada on Thursday after a technical glitch was detected, officials said.

Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K Atchennaidu and senior YSRCP leader B Satyanarayana were among the passengers on board the flight, which was scheduled to depart on Thursday evening.

Vijayawada Airport director Lakshmikanth Reddy told news agency PTI that the problem was discovered while the plane was taxiing.

“While taxiing, they discovered some engine problems, so they came back to the bay and canceled the flight,” he said, adding that the technical problem was identified around 8:30 p.m.

An Air India spokesperson said the problem was identified before departure. “In the interest of safety, our Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam flight returned to the tarmac after the pilot identified a technical issue before departure. The flight was subsequently cancelled,” the spokesperson said.

The airline said passengers were provided with hotel accommodation and offered options including a full refund or free rescheduling of their trip. “We regret any inconvenience caused and reiterate that safety remains paramount in all aspects of our operations,” the spokesperson added.

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