Air India Express flight makes emergency landing after suspected tail strike

An Air India Express flight that left Calicut International Airport for Dammam in Saudi Arabia on Friday morning made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport following a suspected tail strike that subsequently led to problems in the hydraulic equipment of the aircraft, airport officials said.

The incident prompted authorities to declare a full emergency at Thiruvananthapuram (also known as Trivandrum) airport and the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) to order a probe into the matter.

All passengers and crew members onboard Air India Express flight IX 385 landed safely at Thiruvananthapuram airport.