Technical snag forces SpiceJet carrying Edapaddi K Palaniswamy to return to Chennai

Chennai: Following a technical snag mid-air, the Thoothukudi-bound Spicejet flight carrying 78 passengers, including the Tamil Nadu chief minister Edapaddi K Palaniswamy and other officials, landed in the city airport a few minutes after taking off from here. All passengers and cabin crew members deplaned safely.

The chief minister was scheduled to travel to Kanyakumari from Thoothukudi to attend a government function where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to unveil a series of development projects for Kanyakumari and Tamil Nadu.

According to an ATCofficial , the SpiceJet flight took off for Thoothukudi from Chennai International Airport at 7.50 am before returning. The flight to Thoothkudi, with 78 passengers and 5 cabin crew, suffered high cabin pressure and the pilot was holding for five minutes above Kancheepuram airspace.

Since the aircraft was not flying at high altitude due to the cabin pressure issue, the captain alerted the ATC and the flight made an emergency landing in Chennai at 8.30 am.

The CM took an Indigo flight to Madurai at 9:10 am and reached Kanyakumari by road, sources added.