The flight landed at 1.30 PM as per schedule, AirAsia said (File)
A Hyderabad-bound AirAsia flight carrying 70 passengers developed a technical problem mid-air and had to carry out an emergency landing with the engine of the plane shut. The plane landed safely, the budget carrier said in a statement later, adding a detailed inspection was taking place to figure out what went wrong.
"Aircraft VT-IXC operating as i51543 from Jaipur to Hyderabad on 26th May 2020, encountered a technical issue and carried out a precautionary engine shut down. Handling the situation calmly in a professional manner, the crew landed at Shamshabad, as scheduled," the statement read.
"We are carrying out detailed inspection of the aircraft. Having informed DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) we are assisting in the investigation to establish the cause," it added.
The flight landed at 1.30 PM as per schedule and the passengers for the onward journey to Bengaluru were accommodated in another flight, news agency PTI reported.
The incident took place on the second day of the resumption of domestic flight operation after two months of coronavirus lockdown.
"Our pilots and crew are experienced and well trained to manage these situations," AirAsia said.
The centre announced last Thursday that one-third of pre-lockdown domestic flights will operate from Monday. All international scheduled commercial passenger flights remain suspended. Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri has indicated that international flights could begin in June.
The Health Ministry on Sunday issued guidelines for domestic travel, advising passengers to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices and asking states to ensure thermal screening at the departure point of airports, railway stations and bus terminals. Asymptomatic passengers should be permitted to travel after being asked to self-monitor for 14 days, the ministry said.