CHENNAI- Air India Express (IX) faced a challenging operational situation for the second consecutive day when flight IX-765, with 165 passengers on board, was unable to land at Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) in Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram) on May 28, 2025.
The flight took off from Chennai at 7:20 AM and reached the Andaman airspace by 9:40 AM. However, poor weather conditions forced the crew to redirect and abort the landing attempt.
During the flight’s approach to Port Blair’s airport (IXZ), the aircraft circled in the air as the pilots sought to evaluate the landing conditions.
Due to the worsening weather, clearance for a safe landing could not be obtained, prompting the aircraft to return to Chennai (MAA), where it landed at 12:30 PM, completing an unproductive five-hour round trip.
Frustrated passengers expressed their grievances to Air India Express (IX) representatives at Chennai Airport (MAA), seeking explanations for the airline’s operational failures while other carriers successfully operated. This situation was reported by DT Next.
Travellers were puzzled as to why Air India Express alone faced these operational difficulties, as other airlines maintained normal schedules to the same destination.
Airport officials confirmed that three flights from IndiGo (6E) and one from Akasa Air (QP) completed their Chennai-Andaman routes without any issues on the same day, which heightened concerns about Air India Express’s operational reliability.
Second Attempt
After extensive discussions between passengers and airline representatives, Air India Express (IX) management made the decision to reboard all 165 passengers on the same aircraft.
The flight launched from Chennai (MAA) for a second attempt at 2:30 PM, with crews optimistic that the weather conditions would allow for a successful landing.
Previous Day’s Disruptions
On Tuesday, similar circumstances unfolded when the Air India Express (IX) flight carrying 168 passengers failed to land twice in the Andaman region.
These repeated failures led to passenger protests at Chennai Airport (MAA), with some travellers staging sit-in demonstrations at the airline’s customer service counter.
Special Flight Arranged
To address the situation, Air India Express (IX) arranged emergency transportation during the early hours of Wednesday for passengers stranded due to Tuesday’s failed flights.
This special flight successfully transported the affected passengers to their intended Andaman destination, providing a temporary solution to the previous disruptions.
Weather Conditions
The ongoing failures underscore the challenges Air India Express (IX) contends with regarding weather-related operational issues at Port Blair airport (IXZ).
While competing airlines continued to operate normally, Air India Express’s prudent response to adverse conditions resulted in significant inconveniences and delays for passengers over two days.
Port Blair’s Runway Restrictions
Landings at Port Blair’s Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) are generally unidirectional.
Given the airport’s single runway, all landings typically occur on Runway 04, while departures are managed from Runway 22. This procedure is largely due to the mountainous terrain situated to the north and northwest of the airport.
Bottom Line
The repeated landing challenges reveal significant operational weaknesses in Air India Express’s protocols for managing weather conditions compared to rival airlines operating similar routes.
The incidents raise important questions regarding pilot training standards for navigating difficult terrain approaches and the equipment’s aptitude for handling adverse weather at specialized airports like Port Blair (IXZ).
Trust in the airline’s reliability may diminish following these two service interruptions, potentially impacting future traveling decisions for Andaman routes.
The airline is under pressure to improve its weather assessment procedures and crew readiness for unidirectional runway operations to avert similar operational failures that disrupt passenger schedules and create negative publicity.
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Based on an article from aviationa2z.com: https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/05/29/air-india-express-faces-second-day-of-failed-port-blair-landings/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=air-india-express-faces-second-day-of-failed-port-blair-landings
