Mid-air collision averted over Kerala capital

Thiruvananthapuram: Two aircraft with a total of 395 passengers onboard narrowly escaped a mid-air collision as one of them landed within a minute after the other took off on the same runway at the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

The possibility of a mishap was there as a Sri Lankan Airlines flight landed in the airport within a minute after Dubai-bound Emirates Airways flight took off, airport officials said.

While the Emirates flight was carrying 241 passengers the incoming Sri Lankan flight had 154 passengers, they said.

The Sri Lankan flight arrived slightly behind the schedule, they said.

An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain whether the incident involved any human or signal error, they said.