Govt seeks report on go-around of Air India flight flying Rahul Gandhi
Flight AI-1717, travelling from Delhi to Lucknow, aborted its first landing attempt at around 3.45 pm after the crew assessed the weather conditions. The aircraft landed safely about 10 minutes later, at 3.55 pm.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has sought a report from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on the go-around performed by an Air India flight carrying Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, while landing at Lucknow airport on Tuesday, sources told India Today.
The DGCA is expected to seek further details from Air India and other concerned stakeholders before apprising the ministry of the reasons behind the aborted landing attempt.
Air India flight AI-1717, travelling from Delhi to Lucknow, performed a go-around at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at around 3.45 pm due to gusty winds before landing safely on its second attempt about 10 minutes later, at 3.55 pm. Gandhi was among the passengers on the flight.
Sources added the ministry has asked the aviation regulator to examine the circumstances surrounding the go-around and submit a report.
The DGCA will gather details from the airline and other stakeholders to establish why the aircraft had to discontinue its first landing attempt. The ministry will subsequently be apprised of the findings.
A go-around is a routine aviation procedure in which pilots discontinue an approach and climb back to a safe altitude before attempting to land again. It can be carried out due to adverse weather, runway conditions, air traffic or an approach that is deemed unsuitable for a safe landing.
In this case, the crew assessed the weather conditions and aborted the first landing attempt amid gusty winds. The aircraft subsequently approached the airport again and landed safely. All passengers disembarked normally after the flight arrived in Lucknow.
Air India has not yet issued a statement on the incident.
After reaching Lucknow, Gandhi left for Rae Bareli to begin a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency. During his visit on Wednesday, he met Congress workers and held discussions with delegations representing different sections of society. He was also scheduled to interact with local gold and silver traders.
Gandhi is also scheduled to chair a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA), review development projects in the constituency and assess the situation in flood-affected areas.
His engagements are also expected to include discussions with residents and party workers on local concerns and issues affecting the constituency.
The aviation regulator's inquiry will now focus on the circumstances that led the AI-1717 crew to initiate the go-around and whether any additional factors were involved. The DGCA's assessment will determine the details to be submitted to the MoCA as the authorities examine the incident.