The dead included both pilots of the Air India Express flight, the airline said in a statement, adding that the four cabin crew were safe. Air India Express said its teams also reached Calicut to support and assist families of the victims. A similar tragedy was narrowly avoided at the same airport a year ago, when an Air India Express flight suffered a tail strike upon landing. The Air India Express flight was part of the Indian government's special repatriation mission to bring Indian citizens back to the country, officials said. Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India.

Abdul Karim, a senior Kerala state police officer, said the dead included one of the pilots of the Air India Express flight. A part of the Air India Express flight is seen through a broken wall after it skidded off a runway while landing at the airport in Kozhikode, Kerala state, India, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. (AP Photo)A similar tragedy to Fridays was narrowly avoided at the same airport a year ago, when an Air India Express flight suffered a tail strike upon landing. The Air India Express flight was part of the Indian government's special repatriation mission to bring Indian citizens back to the country, officials said. Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India.