Accident averted in Jaipur: Air India plane with Congress leader onboard lifts off after runway contact

Hours after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar lost his life in a plane crash near Baramati on Wednesday, passengers aboard an Air India flight in Jaipur had a narrow escape after a failed landing triggered moments of panic.

Air India flight AI1719 took off from Delhi at 12 pm and was scheduled to land at Jaipur airport at around 1.05 pm on Wednesday. However, just after touching the runway, the pilot lifted the aircraft back into the air at the last moment. Prioritising passenger safety, the pilot opted for a ‘go-around’.

The aircraft circled the airport and, after conditions normalised, made another landing attempt. The plane later landed safely.

Among those travelling on the flight was Congress state in-charge for Rajasthan and former Punjab deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. The initial failed landing caused anxiety among passengers before the aircraft landed safely.

Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader, was killed in a plane crash near Baramati. Five people, including Pawar, died when the aircraft crashed while attempting to land on Wednesday morning. Pawar was travelling to Baramati for election campaigning. The chartered plane caught fire after the crash.

Authorities are investigating both incidents.