An Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai suffered a technical glitch in one of its engines, due to which passengers were asked to deplane at the Kolkata airport during a scheduled halt. The incident happened during the early hours of Tuesday.
According to the news agency PTI, the Air India flight AI180 arrived on time at 12.45 am at the Kolkata airport, but the technical snag in the left engine resulted in the takeoff getting delayed. At about 5.20 am, an announcement was made in the aircraft asking all the passengers to deplane.
The captain of the plane told the passengers that the decision was being made in the interest of flight safety.
Aircraft stationed on tarmac at Kolkata airport
Visuals show the left engine of the Air India aircraft stationed on the tarmac at Kolkata airport, with ground staff inspecting the area as the plane remains idle following the reported technical snag.
Ranchi-bound Air India flight diverted
Earlier on Monday, an Air India flight operating from New Delhi to Ranchi had to return back mid-air after the pilot reported a suspected technical issue while airborne.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane had departed from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 4:25 pm and was scheduled to arrive at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport by 6:20 pm. "One of our flights returned to Delhi after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. Post inspections and clearance, the aircraft continued scheduled operations," Air India Express Spokesperson said.
Another Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to New Delhi on Monday had to return to Hong Kong mid-flight after the crew suspected a technical issue. The decision to turn back was made as a precautionary measure to ensure passenger safety, as per the airline.“AI315 operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 16 June 2025 air-returned to Hong Kong shortly after take off due to a technical issue. The flight landed safely at Hong Kong and is undergoing checks as a matter of abundant precaution. Alternative arrangements have been planned to fly the passengers to their destination Delhi at the earliest. We are providing all necessary on-ground assistance to the passengers to minimise the inconvenience caused by this unforeseen disruption," an Air India Spokesperson said.
The back-to-back incidents come just days after an Air India Dreamliner, flight AI171, crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 pm on June 12, killing 270 people, including all 241 on board.
On Sunday, officials confirmed the recovery of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the crash site. The black box is expected to provide critical information to help determine the cause of the deadly accident.
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