Air India Flight From Hong Kong To Delhi Turns Back Mid-Air Citing Technical Glitch
An Air India flight from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to make a mid-air U-turn on Monday after the pilot suspected a technical issue, the latest in a series of aviation incidents that have put passenger and regulatory focus squarely on airline safety.
Flight AI315, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had departed from Hong Kong International Airport when the crew decided to return as a precautionary measure. “After taking off, a technical issue was suspected, hence the aircraft returned as a precautionary measure,” Air India said in a statement. The aircraft landed safely back in Hong Kong and is currently undergoing necessary technical checks.
This incident comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of aviation protocols, following several other mid-air emergencies over the weekend and the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad last week.
On Sunday, a Chennai-bound British Airways Boeing Dreamliner (BA35) was forced to return to London’s Heathrow Airport mid-flight after encountering a technical snag. According to flight tracking data and reports, the issue was related to a “flap failure” on the aircraft.
In a separate incident on the same day, Lufthansa flight LH 752 from Frankfurt, Germany, to Hyderabad was diverted back to its origin following a bomb threat. An official from Hyderabad Airport confirmed that an email threat was received while the aircraft was still outside Indian airspace. The airline was advised to return to Frankfurt as a safety precaution.
These occurrences have amplified concerns about aircraft safety in the wake of the devastating crash of Air India flight AI-171 on June 12. The Ahmedabad to London flight, also a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, went down shortly after takeoff, killing all 241 passengers and crew, as well as several people on the ground. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has since ordered enhanced, one-time safety checks on all Boeing 787 aircraft operating in India, a process that is currently underway.
