Possible collision of flights averted in Tiruchirappalli

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A possible collision between a Jet Airways flight for Chennai and an Air India Express aircraft headed for Abudhabi was on Monday averted here when ATC personnel scrambled quickly and alerted the pilots.

Airport sources said that the ATC staff saw the Air India Express flight, with 170 passengers on board, landing at about the same time when the Jet Airways plane was about to leave the airport at 14:30 hours, 25 minutes behind the schedule.

Seeing the AI Express flight landing and Jet Airways with six travellers preparing to leave at about the same time, they alerted the Jet Airways pilot and asked him not to take off, averting what could have been a possible collision, the sources said.

The AI Express flight was scheduled to arrive at 14:15 hours, but it landed 15 minutes behind schedule. Similarly the Jet Airways was scheduled to leave at 14:05 hours and its departure also was delayed.

Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry into the incident, official sources said in Delhi.