THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An Air India Express flight from the Kerala state capital to Dubai returned, on Sunday, barely a couple of hours after take-off due to an issue with the air conditioning system of the aircraft, Thiruvananthapuram airport officials said.

The flight, IX 539, which took off with 174 people onboard -- including the crew -- from here at 1.19 PM returned back and landed safely at 3.52 PM, an airport official said.

"The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew are fine. A local standby was declared. It was an AC issue, " the official said.

The passengers are presently at the airport and would be taking off within an hour on another flight arranged by the airline, he added.

The airline said that flight IX-539 operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai, experienced a technical issue with the air condi system after take-off and the operating crew decided to carry out a precautionary landing at Thiruvananthapuram.

"The airline promptly arranged for another aircraft to ensure a comfortable journey, accommodating all the guests for the rescheduled departure at 1800 hours," an Air India spokesperson said.

Air India Express is committed to providing a safe, reliable, and comfortable travel experience for all guests and apologises for the inconvenience caused on account of the delay, the airline's spokesperson added.