Air India Express flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai returns due to AC issue
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 23: An Air India Express flight from the Kerala state capital to Dubai returned, on Sunday, barely a couple of hours after take off due to an issue with the air conditioning system of the aircraft, Thiruvananthapuram airport officials said.
The flight, IX 539, which took off with 178 people onboard -- including the crew -- from here at 1.19 PM returned back and landed safely at 3.52 PM, an airport official said.
"The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew are fine. A local standby was declared. It was an AC issue, " the official said.
The passengers are presently at the airport and would be taking off within an hour on another flight arranged by the airline, he added.
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Three footballers of Indian origin named in squads for FIFA World Cup 2026
New Delhi: Three footballers of Indian origin have been named in preliminary or final squads for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
According to a report published by Mathrubhumi, Sarpreet Singh was included in the New Zealand national football team squad which was announced on Wednesday.
Born in Auckland to Indian parents, Singh was eligible to represent India through his family roots but chose to play for New Zealand. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder made his senior international debut in 2018 and has since become a regular member of the national side.
Singh has made 26 appearances for New Zealand and has scored three goals while providing seven assists.
Julen Lopetegui has included two players of Indian origin: Niall Mason and Tahsin Mohammed, in Qatar’s selections for the tournament.
Mason, a defender whose mother is Indian, previously trained in the youth academies of Real Madrid, Southampton FC and Aston Villa FC. Although he received his first senior call-up earlier this year, the Qatar defender is yet to make his senior international debut.
Tahsin Mohammed, 19, was born to parents from Kerala’s Kannur district. His father Jamshid is from Thalassery, while his mother Shaima belongs to Valapattanam. The winger became the first player of Indian origin to feature in the Qatar Stars League, Qatar’s premier domestic football competition.
Mohammed has made two appearances for the senior Qatar side, including in a World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan in June 2024.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada.
