Air India Express flight to Dubai diverted to Kannur due to fire warning light in cargo hold
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Dubai-bound Air India Express flight from Karipur international airport here was diverted to Kannur on Wednesday around an hour after take-off following the pilot noticing a fire warning light in the aircraft's cargo hold, airport sources said.
The flight -- IX 345 -- with 176 people, including the crew, onboard landed safely at Kannur around 11 am and all the passengers are fine, the source said.
The aircraft had taken off from Karipur airport at 9.53 am and an hour into the flight, the pilot noticed the warning light and decided to divert to Kannur, it added.
Air India Express said the warning light was a false alarm.
"Following a false alarm, our Kozhikode-Dubai flight has been diverted to Kannur. An alternative flight is being arranged to continue the scheduled operations to Dubai from Kannur.
"Air India Express regrets the delay and inconvenience caused to guests and provided food and refreshments," an airline spokesperson said.
An Air India Express flight from Sharjah which is scheduled to land at Kannur soon, would be utilised to take the passengers to Dubai, the spokesperson added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
