Union Minister V Muraleedharan posted on twitter: Kozhikode airport is a “tabletop” airport

The Air India Express flight skipped off the runway and split in two when landing in heavy rain in the state of Kerala in southern India.

Air India Express seems to have been a Boeing 737 NG or Next Generation aircraft that slipped on the airport in Kerala’s Kozhikode this eve.

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Kozhikode airport is a “tabletop” airport, junior External Affairs Minister V Muraleedharan posted on twitter.

A tabletop runway is a track that is situated on the peak of a mountain or hill with one or both sides parallel to a narrow precipice that falls into a deep gorge.

This form of runway produces an optical illusion that demands a much more concise approach by the pilot while landing the aircraft.

Boeing faced reports in October last year that up to 50 of its 737 NG aircraft-a precursor to the 737 MAX-were restrained after multiple tech  operators found defects on the plane.

According to sources, the Aviation Regulators Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that it was raining hard when the Boeing 737 pilots from Dubai tried to board. The plane ended up running at a high speed and skidded off the runway as the pilots failed to control it.