Air India flight to London returns to Mumbai hours after takeoff amid Israel-Iran tensions

A London-bound Air India flight returned to Mumbai, hours after its takeoff from there due to the closure of Iran's airspace after Israel carried out airstrikes in Tehran on Friday. The return came as Air India diverted several of its international flights due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Earlier, data from the flight tracking portal FlightRadar24 showed flight AIC129 returning to Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after its departure from there. The radar showed that the aircraft had taken a U-turn and was returning.

Reason for diversion

In a statement, Air India said the flight was among several others that were diverted or returning to their origin to ensure the safety of passengers following the closure of Iran's airspace.

"Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers, the following Air India flights are either being diverted or returning to their origin," it said.

Air India international flights are diverted today

1. AI130 – London Heathrow-Mumbai – Diverted to Vienna
2. AI102 – New York-Delhi – Diverted to Sharjah
3. AI116 – New York-Mumbai – Diverted to Jeddah
4. AI2018 – London Heathrow-Delhi – Diverted to Mumbai
5. AI129 – Mumbai-London Heathrow – Returning to Mumbai
6. AI119 – Mumbai-New York – Returning to Mumbai
7. AI103 – Delhi-Washington – Returning to Delhi
8. AI106 – Newark-Delhi – Returning to Delhi
9. AI188 – Vancouver-Delhi – Diverting to Jeddah
10. AI101 – Delhi-New York – Diverting to Frankfurt/Milan
11. AI126 – Chicago-Delhi – Diverting to Jeddah
12. AI132 – London Heathrow-Bengaluru – Diverted to Sharjah
13. AI2016 – London Heathrow-Delhi – Diverted to Vienna
14. AI104 – Washington-Delhi – Diverted to Vienna
15. AI190 – Toronto-Delhi – Diverted to Frankfurt
16. AI189 – Delhi-Toronto – Returning to Delhi

 "We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption and are making every effort to minimize it, including providing accommodation for passengers. Refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling is also being offered to guests who opt for it. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly passengers to their destinations. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," the airline said in the statement.