The Tiruchirappalli airport in Tamil Nadu has made preparations for an emergency landing and ambulances are on standby after an Air India Express flight reported a hydraulic failure, sources said.
The flight, AXB 613, which was headed to Sharjah, reported the hydraulic failure soon after it took off from Tiruchirappalli. There are 144 passengers on board.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has asked all officials to remain alert and the flight could attempt a landing at 8.30 pm.
Airport authorities said the plane is still hovering around Tiruchirappalli to burn fuel and, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar, the flight has been in the same general area for nearly two hours.
Sources said the problem was identified soon after take-off and the plane was asked to turn back but since it is not advisable to attempt a precautionary landing with full fuel on board, the pilots are burning some of it by flying around the airport.
Air India sources told NDTV that the pilots are preparing for a precautionary landing but the hope is that it can still land normally.