Malaysia Airlines plane lands in Chennai, full emergency declared

A Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah was diverted to Chennai on Monday, September 7, due to a technical problem with the engine, which resulted in a full emergency being declared, an official said.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH 156 with 186 people on board landed safely and appropriate emergency response measures were in place at the airport, he said.

“There was a technical problem with the No. 2 engine. The airline and related technical teams are further assessing the aircraft,” the spokesman said, adding that flights were proceeding normally.

The plane was towed to a parking lot and passengers were given temporary housing at the airport before being moved to a nearby hotel. The flight is expected to resume operations once engineers fix the technical glitch, sources said.

Additionally, an Air India Express flight from Tiruchirappalli to Singapore was diverted to Chennai International Airport due to a technical issue.

In view of this problem, Chennai airport has declared a ‘local standby’ and necessary emergency response measures have been put in place.

The plane landed safely and left the runway under its own power.

(With agency participation)