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Air India Boeing 777 develops snag over Chinese airspace, turns back to Delhi after 8 hours in air
The San Francisco-bound flight had around 230 passengers on board.
While Air India confirmed that it is temporarily rationalising domestic flight operations, it didn’t comment on the extent of the curtailment. (Air India website)
A transatlantic journey came to an abrupt halt on Wednesday when an Air India flight bound for San Francisco was forced to turn around mid-flight after developing a technical snag, spending over eight hours in the air before returning to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
What happened
Flight AI173, a Boeing 777-300ER with around 230 passengers onboard, had crossed into Chinese airspace – more than three hours into the journey – when the crew decided to divert back to Delhi. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 confirmed the aircraft’s turnaround trajectory before it eventually touched down safely in the national capital.
Air India, in a statement, said the return was carried out in line with standard safety procedures. “The aircraft landed safely and will undergo technical inspection in line with Air India’s safety standards,” the airline said. The carrier did not specify the nature of the technical issue, PTI reported.
What about the passengers
The airline said it was working to minimise disruption for those onboard, with ground teams deployed to assist passengers at the airport. “In the meantime, our ground teams are providing all necessary assistance to the passengers, including refreshments, hotel accommodation, or rescheduling as opted by them,” Air India said, according to news agency PTI.
The airline added it was making alternative arrangements to fly passengers to San Francisco “as soon as possible,” while expressing regret over the inconvenience caused.
The aircraft
The Boeing 777-300ER involved is a wide-body, long-haul jet that forms the backbone of Air India’s intercontinental operations. The aircraft will remain grounded pending a technical inspection before it is cleared to return to service.
(With inputs from PTI)
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