Air India faced a series of operational challenges and technical issues on multiple domestic and international flights in the past two days, though all passengers remained safe.
On Tuesday, an Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai, which had a scheduled stopover in Kolkata, was grounded after a suspected technical issue was detected during a routine post-landing inspection. As a precaution, all passengers were safely deboarded.
On Monday, Air India’s AI2493 flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad was cancelled after prolonged delays due to unspecified operational problems. The assigned crew had reached their maximum permissible duty time (Flight Duty Time Limitations – FDTL), necessitating the flight’s cancellation.
Meanwhile, an Air India Express Boeing 737 Max 8 operating from Delhi to Ranchi was diverted back to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. After a thorough inspection, the aircraft was cleared and resumed its scheduled services. An airline spokesperson expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
In another incident earlier the same day, Air India flight AI315 from Hong Kong to Delhi, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was diverted back to Hong Kong after the pilot suspected a technical fault mid-flight. All passengers deboarded safely and the aircraft is currently undergoing detailed safety checks.
Despite these disruptions, Air India and Air India Express assured that passenger safety remained their highest priority, with precautionary landings and technical evaluations being promptly conducted.