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Kochi, April 11
A Kozhikode-bound Air India Express (AIE) flight from Riyadh was diverted and landed at the International Airport here in the wee hours of Sunday after the pilot detected a fault in one of its tyres mid-air, sources said.
Incidentally, the faulty tyre of the AIE IX1322, carrying 180 passengers, burst after its safe landing at the Kochi airport, they said.
The pilot decided to divert the aircraft to Kochi airport, after a tyre issue was noticed, sources said.
The decision to land at Kochi airport was taken considering the safety aspect, they said.
While the Kochi International Airport is the biggest one in the state, the international airport at Kozhikode is a tabletop one, which has limited space at the ends of the runway.