Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV) acted as an alternate landing point on Wednesday after two international flights bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka, were diverted due to bad weather. The affected aircraft included a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul and a SriLankan Airlines flight from Dammam, Saudi Arabia. According to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Ltd (TIAL), the Turkish Airlines flight had 258 passengers and 10 crew members, while the SriLankan Airlines flight carried 188 passengers, including eight crew.

Both flights were en route to Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. After being grounded for around an hour in Kerala’s capital, improving weather conditions allowed them to continue their journey to Colombo. This diversion adds to the list of recent instances where TRV has supported international operations. Just last month, a Saudi Arabian flight traveling from Jakarta to Medina made an emergency stop in Thiruvananthapuram after an Indonesian passenger lost consciousness. The passenger was quickly moved to Ananthapuri Hospital for treatment.

These events highlight the value of strong emergency preparedness at international airports. Earlier, on June 16, Lucknow Airport efficiently handled a separate emergency when a flight landed with smoke and sparks coming from its wheels. The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team resolved the situation within 20 minutes, ensured passenger safety, and kept airport operations running smoothly. Once the weather cleared, both Middle Eastern flights resumed their journey to Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, airport officials confirmed.