Air India in Turbulence: Technical Glitches and a Fatal Crash

An Air India Express flight bound for Ranchi from Delhi, carrying passengers aboard a Boeing 737 Max 8, was compelled to return to Delhi shortly after departure due to a suspected technical snag. Scheduled to arrive at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport by 6:20 PM, the jet's routine was briefly disrupted for an inspection. According to an Air India Express spokesperson, operations resumed post-inspection and clearance: "One of our flights returned to Delhi after take-off due to a suspected technical issue. Post inspections and clearance, the aircraft continued scheduled operations. We regret the inconvenience."

Earlier, an Air India flight flying from Hong Kong to Delhi, identified as AI 315, was redirected back to Hong Kong mid-flight. This decision stemmed from the pilot's suspicion of a technical malfunction aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Based on data from Flight Radar 24, the aircraft was scheduled to land in Delhi by 12:20 PM. Passengers were safely evacuated, and a safety inspection is underway, a source reported.

These occurrences happened merely days after a catastrophic crash involving Air India AI 171, a Dreamliner 787-8, which crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, tragically claiming 241 lives. The aftermath of the accident prompted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to mandate heightened safety examinations of Air India's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet. Thus far, nine out of 33 Dreamliners have been scrutinized. In the devastating crash, a solitary survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian descent, emerged with minimal injuries. Subsequent to this incident, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan will helm a high-level civil aviation security meeting on June 17.

(With inputs from agencies.)