India launches investigation into 737 crash

India has launched an investigation into the crash of an Air India Express Boeing 737, in which 18 people lost their lives. The aircraft slid off the runway on Friday when landing at Calicut Airport.

Upon landing, Air India Express’ Boeing 737 slid off the runway and subsequently broke up. 18 people aboard, including both pilots, lost their lives. The airline was carrying out a repatriation flight for travellers stranded in Dubai due to the coronavirus pandemic. When landing at Calicut International Airport – among heavy rainfall conditions – things went sideways.

According to local media reports, the aircraft was in the midst of its second landing attempt and only landed after already passing over 1,000 meters of runway. This would have left just 1,700 meters of the 2.7 kilometer-long runway, which is very short for a Boeing 737. According to Reuters, the aircraft’s speed was further increased during landing due to a tailwind.

Air India Express announced on Monday that 56 people have now been released from hospital. The airline said earlier that it would offer compensations to the relatives of the 18 people who did not survive. The 737 was carrying a total of 184 passengers and 7 crew.