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Air India London flight returns to Delhi after mid-air technical snag

An Air India flight from Delhi to London Heathrow had to turn back mid-journey due to a suspected technical issue, landing safely in Delhi after nearly seven hours in the air. The airline stated the precautionary return was made with passenger safety as the top priority. The aircraft is now undergoing detailed technical inspections while the airline works to re-accommodate affected passengers. This incident follows another recent return of an Air India flight to Delhi, which was due to a regulatory clearance issue for the aircraft type.

Key Points: Air India flight returns to Delhi over technical issue

  • Flight AI111 returned after 7 hours
  • Precautionary landing for technical issue
  • Aircraft undergoing detailed checks
  • Second such incident for Air India in a week
2 min read

Air India Delhi-London flight returns mid-air after technical snag

An Air India flight from Delhi to London Heathrow made a precautionary return after a suspected technical snag was detected mid-air.

"the decision was taken keeping passenger safety as the top priority - Air India spokesperson"

New Delhi, March 26

An Air India flight from Delhi to London Heathrow had to return to the national capital on Thursday afternoon after a suspected technical issue was detected mid-air.

The flight, AI111, had taken off from Delhi at around 6 am and remained in the air for nearly seven hours before returning. It safely landed back in Delhi at approximately 12:30 pm.

According to an Air India spokesperson, the aircraft made a precautionary return after a suspected technical issue was noticed during the journey. The airline said that the decision was taken keeping passenger safety as the top priority.

The spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft landed safely in line with the airline's strict safety standards.

The plane is now undergoing detailed technical checks, which are expected to take some time before further decisions are made.

Air India also expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers due to the unexpected situation.

The airline said it is making all possible efforts to ensure that affected passengers can continue their journey to London at the earliest.

Further details about the nature of the technical issue are awaited as inspections continue.

Meanwhile, last week, an Air India flight that took off from Delhi for Canada's Vancouver returned to the national capital after 9 hours, as the B777 Boeing version that was deployed on the route did not have clearance from Canada's aviation regulator to fly into the country.

The Air India flight with the call sign AI185 took off from Delhi with a full load of passengers at 12.18 p.m. on March 20 for Vancouver using a Boeing 777-200LR plane, even though Air India has approval from Canadian authorities only for its Boeing 777-300ER planes on this route.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
This is the second such incident in a week? First the Canada flight, now this. What's happening with Air India's operations? While safety is paramount, these disruptions hurt India's aviation reputation. Need better checks before takeoff.
D
David E
As someone who flies this route often for work, this is concerning. Technical issues can happen to any airline, but two major returns in a short span? Hope the Tata management is looking into systemic issues, not just individual snags.
A
Ananya R
Imagine being on that plane for 7 hours only to land back in Delhi! 😫 The mental and physical toll on passengers, especially elderly or those with kids, must be huge. Air India's "regret" is not enough—they need a solid action plan to prevent this.
K
Karthik V
The Canada incident last week was due to a paperwork/clearance issue, not technical. That's a different kind of operational failure. This one seems like a genuine technical snag. Both point to a need for sharper processes. Hope the new management fixes this.
S
Sarah B
I appreciate the transparency in reporting this. Many airlines might try to downplay it. The crew's priority was safety, and they followed protocol. Let's not jump to conclusions until the technical inspection report is out.

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