An Air India flight bound for London was forced to turn back to Delhi on Thursday after a suspected technical problem was detected during the journey. The aircraft had already been in the air for several hours before the pilots decided to return as a safety measure.
The flight, AI111, was being operated using an Airbus A350-900 aircraft. According to an Air India spokesperson, cited by PTI, the decision to head back to the national capital was taken as a precaution after indications of a possible technical issue emerged mid-flight.
"The aircraft landed safely and consistent with Air India's high safety standards, it is currently subject to extensive technical evaluations, which will require additional time to complete," he said.
Unusual sounds reported over Saudi airspace
According to available information, unusual sounds were reported from within the aircraft while it was flying over Saudi Arabian airspace. Following this, the crew decided to turn back and head to Delhi to ensure passenger safety.
The flight had taken off from Delhi at around 6 am and landed safely back at approximately 12:30 pm. Officials have not yet confirmed the exact number of passengers on board at the time of the incident.
An airline spokesperson expressed regret over the disruption caused to travellers. The airline stated that it is taking all necessary steps to minimise inconvenience and arrange onward travel for passengers to London at the earliest possible time.
Sources revealed that the aircraft, registered as VT-JRF, had remained airborne for nearly seven hours before it returned safely to Delhi.
Aircraft had previous technical incident
This is not the first time the same aircraft has encountered technical trouble. Earlier this month, on March 15, it experienced a similar issue while operating a flight from New York to Delhi. On that occasion, the plane was diverted to Shannon in Ireland.
