A Visakhapatnam-bound Air India Express flight was cancelled late on December 18 after a technical snag was detected before take-off at Gannavaram Airport, officials said.

The aircraft, which was taxiing for departure around 8:30 pm, was carrying several high-profile passengers, including former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K Atchennaidu, and senior YSRCP leader B Satyanarayana.

“While taxiing, they detected an engine problem, so they (aircraft) returned to the bay and the flight was cancelled,” Vijayawada Airport Director Lakshmikanth Reddy told PTI late on Thursday. He added that the aircraft suffered a technical issue shortly before its scheduled departure.

Confirming the incident, an Air India Express spokesperson said the engine-related problem was identified prior to take-off. “In the interest of safety, our Vijayawada - Visakhapatnam flight returned to the ramp after the pilot identified a technical issue prior to departure. The flight was subsequently cancelled,” the spokesperson said on Friday.

Following the cancellation, passengers were provided hotel accommodation and offered options of a full refund or complimentary rescheduling. The airline expressed regret over the inconvenience caused and reiterated that safety remained paramount across all aspects of its operations.

Airport officials initially said that an Air India flight had been cancelled on Thursday night, later clarifying that it was operated by Air India Express.