Air India Boeing 777 returns to Delhi after pilots spot low engine oil pressure shortly after take-off; probe ordered

Another Air India Boeing 777 aircraft—VT-ALP—was then arranged to operate the disrupted flight. It departed from Delhi at 10:25 am and landed in Mumbai at 12:14 pm, as per flight tracking data.

To be sure, twin-engine commercial jets can safely operate on a single engine, but they usually divert to the nearest airport if one of the engines shuts down. This is done to minimise any additional risk to the aircraft and to ensure that the plane is not airborne for long without engine redundancy. The aircraft involved—VT-ALS—is a 15-year-old plane that the privatised Air India inherited from its government ownership days. This particular aircraft mostly operates long-haul flights to Europe and North America, and is used for domestic flights only occasionally, as per its flight history in recent weeks.

“The crew operating flight AI887 from Delhi to Mumbai on 22 December decided to return to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue as per standard operating procedure. The aircraft landed safely at Delhi and the passengers and crew have disembarked. Air India sincerely regrets inconvenience caused due to this unforeseen situation. The aircraft is undergoing the necessary checks. Our ground team at Delhi is providing immediate assistance to the passengers and alternative arrangements have been made to fly them to their destination shortly. At Air India, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain top priority,” the Tata group airline said in a statement Monday morning.

“(Aircraft) Inspection/rectification is in progress. The incident would be investigated by the permanent investigation board of the airline under the supervision of Director Air Safety (Northern Region), DGCA,” the DGCA said in a statement. A DGCA source said that a review of the aircraft’s previous record did not indicate any abnormality in oil consumption.

Taking note of the incident, MoCA posted on social media platform X: “The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken note of the Air India flight AI-887 incident involving a technical issue shortly after take-off. The aircraft landed safely. The Ministry has sought a detailed report from Air India, and DGCA has been directed to conduct a thorough investigation. The airline has been directed to extend all assistance to passengers and accommodate them on subsequent flights. Passenger safety remains paramount.”

While such “airturnbacks” shortly after departure due to technical issues are not very uncommon, Air India has faced significant regulatory scrutiny and action since the tragic crash of one of its Boeing 787 aircraft in Ahmedabad on June 12, in which 260 people died.