Air India SF‑Mumbai Flight Halts in Kolkata After Engine Glitch; Passengers Deplaned Safely
An Air India Boeing 777‑200LR on flight AI180 from San Francisco to Mumbai made an unscheduled emergency halt at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport early Tuesday after detecting a technical snag in its left engine. All passengers were safely deplaned around 5.20 am as a precautionary safety measure.
Flight AI180 landed punctually at 12.45 am but the left engine issue delayed departure. At approximately 5.20 am, the captain announced that passengers must disembark “in the interest of flight safety.”
Visuals from the airport showed ground crew inspecting the grounded jet on the tarmac while passengers waited in the terminal for alternate arrangements. Affected passengers are being rebooked on onward flights to Mumbai. No injuries have been reported.
The unplanned stop comes amid a string of technical concerns facing the national carrier. On Monday, an Air India Express Boeing 787 returning to Hong Kong after takeoff due to a potential issue prompted precautionary inspections. Days earlier, the tragic crash of Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad claimed nearly 270 lives, prompting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to launch comprehensive inspections across Air India’s fleet.
These developments have stirred growing concern over aircraft maintenance and operational safety at the airline. Regulatory authorities have mandated thorough troubleshooting on all Boeing aircraft operated by Air India.
Air India has assured swift assistance to impacted passengers and prioritized resuming services. The aircraft—or a replacement—is expected to be cleared and depart for Mumbai after detailed engineering assessments.
