Chennai, Dec 11 (NationPress) A critical situation was averted at Chennai Airport on Wednesday when the pilot of an Air India flight destined for Singapore discovered a potential fuel leak during the final pre-flight checks.

The aircraft, which was set to carry 145 passengers along with crew members, was scheduled for departure at noon.

During the last inspection, the pilot identified the technical anomaly and promptly notified Air Traffic Control (ATC).

Engineers and airport personnel quickly responded to the situation, and the issue was successfully addressed.

Upon receiving clearance, the flight took off without incident.

On the same day, however, seven departure flights and five arrival flights were cancelled at Chennai Airport due to various circumstances.

Flights to Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai, Shimoga, Bagdogra, Jaffna, and Kolkata were impacted.

Additionally, arrivals from Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai, Kochi, Kolkata, and Jaffna were also cancelled.

Airport officials indicated that eight flights were cancelled due to operational reasons, while two suffered from technical difficulties.

Adverse weather conditions in Jaffna contributed to the cancellation of both departure and arrival flights on that route.

Moreover, one flight from New Delhi to Chennai was diverted to Bengaluru after rain temporarily disrupted operations on Wednesday morning.

The New Delhi flight, set to arrive at 10 a.m., was unable to do so because of the inclement weather.

This incident adds to a series of aviation challenges faced at Chennai Airport.

A SpiceJet flight from Chennai to Kochi had to make an emergency return to Chennai Airport on Monday (December 9) morning after experiencing a technical issue mid-air.

The flight, which was carrying 117 passengers, took off at 6:30 a.m. and safely returned at 7:15 a.m.

In another critical situation, an IndiGo Airbus A320 narrowly avoided disaster while attempting to land at Chennai Airport during severe weather conditions caused by Cyclone Fengal, as the pilot aborted the landing just inches from the ground and executed a go-around.

A flight that was scheduled to arrive in Thoothukudi was redirected to Madurai due to technical complications.

After circling for a brief period, the aircraft made a successful emergency landing in Madurai.

Among the 77 passengers on board was Tamil Nadu's Public Works Minister, E.V. Velu.

Recently, an Air India Express flight from Kuwait to Chennai had to return to Kuwait because of a mid-air technical snag.

This flight, which had 154 passengers on board, was ultimately cancelled after the problem persisted, and passengers were accommodated in Kuwait.