Onions force Air India Express flight from Kochi to Sharjah to return soon after takeoff

Around 175 passengers were forced to return after they encountered a combination of a "pungent" and "burning smell." The plane took off from Kochi to Sharjah but soon turned back after passengers started complaining about the smell.

What 

The incident took place on the night of August 2, when an Air India Express flight forced about 175 passengers bound for Sharjah to return after takeoff from Kochi.

The reason? Possibly a box of onions in the cargo hold of the flight.

• Initially, one of the passengers aboard reported detecting a smell of something "burning" within the aircraft.
• Subsequently, more passengers also raised concerns about a "pungent smell" on the flight shortly after takeoff.
• As a result of these complaints, the flight made a decision to turn back and conducted a precautionary landing at the Cochin International Airport (CIAL).
• After the landing, the engineering team inspected the aircraft, and initial findings showed no evidence of smoke or technical issues but this instead:

[READ MORE: 56 hours since takeoff from Delhi, 216 Air India passengers land in San Francisco on replacement flight]

It was the first time that an incident like this happened. In case you're wondering what were so many onions doing in the flight... well, it was because the Air India Express airline headed to the Middle East transports substantial quantities of vegetables, fruits, and flowers in its cargo hold, serving as an additional source of revenue for the company.

Congress MLA from Kerala Mathew Kuzhalnadan was onboard the aircraft, and mentioned that there was a sense of uncertainty and confusion among the passengers, but the plane landed safely.

Airline responds 

Air India Express apologised for the inconvenience caused and made arrangements for the affected passengers on another aircraft, which departed later that day.