Malaysia Airlines flight diverted to Chennai due to technical issue

A Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah was diverted to Chennai on Monday due to a technical problem with the engine, prompting a full emergency to be 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 issue with the No. 2 engine. The airline and related technical teams are further assessing the aircraft and the problem,” 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. — PTI