KOCHI: A combination of ‘pungent’ and ‘burning smell’ inside an Air India Express flight forced about 175 passengers bound for Sharjah to return after takeoff from Kochi. The culprit -- possibly a box of onions in the cargo hold area of the flight.
At first, one of the passengers on the Sharjah-bound Air India Express flight (IX 411) that took off on August 2 night, complained of a smell of something ‘burning’ inside the flight, sources said.
Later, some more passengers joined and said there was some ‘pungent smell’ in the flight, forcing to make a precautionary landing at the Cochin International Airport (CIAL). The engineering team inspected the aircraft, and initial findings showed no evidence of smoke or technical issues, the airline source said.
“The preliminary feedback suggests that the source of the odour may have been attributed to the presence of onions or vegetables being carried in the aircraft”, the source said.
Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan, who was travelling in the aircraft, said there was uncertainty among the passengers, but it landed safely.
The Air India Express expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and made arrangements for guests on another aircraft, which departed at 5.14 am. The airline carries vegetables, fruits, and flowers in large quantities in its cargo hold area, which is also a source of income for it.