Chennai, Oct 11 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has congratulated the captain and crew of the Sharjah-bound Air India Express flight, which developed a technical glitch immediately after takeoff from Tiruchi at 5:40 p.m. on Friday.

The flight landed safely at 8:10 p.m. after circling over Tiruchi airport for more than two and a half hours and releasing a majority of the fuel in the aircraft.

In a post on the social media platform X, Stalin said, 'I am heartened to hear that the #AirIndiaExpress flight has landed safely. Upon receiving news of the landing gear issue, I immediately coordinated an emergency meeting with officials over the phone and instructed them to implement all necessary safety measures, including deploying fire engines, ambulances, and medical assistance.

He added, 'I have also directed the District Collector to ensure the continued safety of all passengers and to provide further assistance. My compliments to the captain and crew for the safe landing.'

It may be recalled that shortly after takeoff, the flight encountered a technical issue and had to circle above Tiruchi airport for more than two and a half hours before landing.

Ambulances and fire engines were kept on standby at the airport for any emergency landing. The Tiruchi Airport Director, Gopalakrishnan, informed the media that 20 ambulances and 18 fire engines were kept ready at the airport for the emergency landing.

The flight faced hydraulic issues shortly after takeoff, causing the plane's landing gear to malfunction, and preventing the wheels from retracting.

The pilot declared an emergency and initiated safety protocols, which included circling the Tiruchi airspace for over an hour to reduce the aircraft's fuel weight, a necessary step for a safe emergency landing.

All 141 passengers were safe, and Air India has assured that every measure is being taken to resolve the situation smoothly.

/IANS