SriLankan flight to Madurai lands five minutes after take off

• The flight was to leave for Madurai at 1.40 p.m. The flight, however, took off at 02:02 p.m. and returned to the airport five minutes later, at 02:07 p.m.

 By T.K.G. Kapila  

A SriLankan Airlines flight which left BIA for Madurai, India, last afternoon, was forced to land again at the airport five minutes after takeoff due to a technical fault, the airport duty manager said.  

 He said that there were 41 passengers and eight crew members on board the aircraft.  
This flight is a Neo-type aircraft (Airbus 321), which was manufactured in France.  

The flight was to leave for Madurai at 1.40 p.m. The flight, however, took off at 02:02 p.m. and returned to the airport five minutes later, at 02:07 p.m.  

The passengers and the crew continue to be inside the aircraft, as the aircraft is currently being repaired.  
The airport has still not announced the exact time the flight will take off again for Madurai.