File picture of Chennai airport’s international terminal
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bl-online Administrator
Chennai International Airport witnessed the diversion of two passenger aircraft on Monday following separate technical issues, with both flights landing safely and all airport operations remaining normal.The first diversion involved Malaysia Airlines flight MH156, operating from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah. The Airbus A330-200, carrying 186 passengers, was diverted to Chennai after the crew reported a technical issue involving Engine No. 2.A full emergency was declared at 4.07 pm, following which emergency response arrangements were activated at the airport. The aircraft landed safely at 4.44 pm. Further assessment of the aircraft and the reported technical issue is being carried out by the airline and its technical teams.Later in the evening, Air India Express flight IX682, operating from Tiruchirappalli to Singapore with 170 passengers, was diverted to Chennai due to another technical issue.A Local Standby was declared at 5.38 pm, with airport operational and emergency agencies placed on alert. The Boeing 737 was initially expected to arrive at 5.51 pm and was assigned Stand 43L.The aircraft landed safely at 5.52 pm and vacated the runway under its own power. No untoward incident was reported. The airlines’ engineering and technical teams are assessing the reported issues at the time of filing this report.All flight operations at Chennai Airport are normal, according to an official release.Published on September 7, 2026
