A Singapore-bound Air India flight carrying nearly 190 passengers was forced to return to Delhi early on Thursday after the Dreamliner aircraft reported a potential technical snag. According to the information, an APU fire warning emerged soon after takeoff which prompted the crew to turn the aircraft back to the national capital.
The Boeing 787-9 had been airborne for about an hour before the pilots initiated the precautionary return, news agency PTI reported citing sources. Data from flight tracking platform Flightradar24.com later showed that the aircraft landed safely in Delhi around 1 am.
Passengers moved to alternate aircraft
Air India quickly arranged another aircraft to ferry the stranded passengers to Singapore. An Air India spokesperson confirmed to PTI that the operating crew of flight AI 2380 from Delhi to Singapore on January 14 opted for a safe return due to a suspected technical issue. The spokesperson said, "The aircraft landed safely in Delhi. Our ground teams at Delhi extended all necessary assistance to passengers and the flight departed for Singapore on an alternative aircraft." The airline expressed regret over the inconvenience caused.
Air India cancels some US flights due to Iranian airspace closure
Notably, Air India on Thursday cancelled at least three flights to the US, and certain services to Europe will face some delays due to Iranian airspace closure, PTI reported citing sources. At least three flights -- two from the national capital to New York and Newark, and one from Mumbai to New York -- have been cancelled, the source added.
In a post on X, the airline said that due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace, and in view of the safety of our passengers, flights overflying the region are now using an alternative routing, which may lead to delays. "Some Air India flights where currently rerouting is not possible are being cancelled," the airline said, and regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this unforeseen disruption.
Air India uses Iranian airspace for flights to the US and Europe, and the alternative option is to fly over Iraq airspace. Since using Iraq's airspace will mean a longer duration, the aircraft will not have enough fuel to operate some of the services to the US, the source said. With the Pakistan airspace closure, Air India is already taking longer routes for many of the West-bound flights.
