By Simon Hradecky

An India Express Boeing 737-800, registration VT-AXI performing flight IX-1322 (dep Apr 10th) from Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) to Kozhikode (India) with 160 people on board, departed Riyadh’s runway 15R and was enroute at FL350 about 50nm west of Kozhikode and about 100nm northwest of Kochi when the crew decided to not land at Kozhikode’s table top runway but divert to Kochi as a safety precaution due to a reported tyre damage on departure. The aircraft landed safely on Kochi’s runway 27 about 30 minutes later. The damaged tyre burst after the passengers had disembarked.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration VT-GHI delivered the passengers to Kozhikode with a delay of 7 hours.

The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Kochi about 23 hours after landing.

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