An Air India flight traveling from San Francisco to Mumbai ran into a bit of trouble with one of its engines, leading to all passengers having to get off during a scheduled stop in Kolkata early Tuesday morning.
Flight AI180 touched down in Kolkata right on time at 12:45 a.m. However, a hiccup with the aircraft’s left engine caused a delay for the next leg of the journey. Around 5:20 a.m, passengers were informed over the intercom that they needed to deplane. The captain reassured everyone that this decision was made with their safety in mind.
OPERATIONAL ISSUES SURROUND AIR INDIA
In a separate incident earlier on Monday, Air India flight AI2493 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad was canceled after a lengthy delay. Sources from news agency ANI reported that the Airbus A321-211 (VT-PPL) assigned to this flight faced some operational issues. Unfortunately, during this delay, the crew exceeded their Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) – a safety rule that limits how long crew members can be on duty – resulting in the cancellation.
On the same day, another Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi had to turn back shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical problem. The Boeing 737 Max 8 was supposed to land at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport at 6:20 pm.
AI REGRETS INCONVENIENCE
Hindustan Times quotes an Air India Express spokesperson saying, “One of our flights returned to Delhi after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. Following inspections and necessary clearances, the aircraft resumed scheduled operations. We regret the inconvenience caused.”
Additionally, on Monday, an Air India flight from Hong Kong to Delhi had to make a U-turn mid-air after the pilot reported a potential technical snag. Flight AI315, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was expected to arrive in Delhi at 12:00 pm.
All passengers deboarded safely, and the aircraft is currently undergoing a safety inspection.
