Air India Boeing 777 plane to Newark returns to Mumbai after snag
Newark-bound flight AI191 was airborne for three hours before precautionary return; both AI191 and AI144 flights cancelled
In a growing list of technical issues with Boeing planes run by Air India, the Newark-bound flight AI191, operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft, returned to Mumbai due to a technical issue on Wednesday (October 22) morning.
The plane took off around 1.50 am for Newark on Wednesday. It was reportedly airborne for over three hours before returning to Mumbai, according to information available on flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, as reported by news agency PTI.
“The crew of flight AI191 operating from Mumbai to Newark on 22 October, made a precautionary air-return to Mumbai due to a suspected technical issue. The flight landed safely back in Mumbai, and the aircraft is undergoing necessary inspections,” the airline said in a statement.
Also read: Air India cancels Milan-Delhi flight ahead of Diwali; flyers stranded
Both flights cancelled
Air India said AI191 and AI144 (scheduled to operate from Newark to Mumbai) were cancelled. All affected passengers at Mumbai have been provided hotel accommodation and have been rebooked on alternative Air India and other airlines’ flights to their destination.
Details about the number of passengers were not disclosed.
The passengers of AI144 from Newark were also notified of the cancellation and are being assisted with alternative arrangements at the earliest opportunity, the airline said.
Also read: Pilots’ body seeks Dreamliner audit; Air India denies safety issues
Boeing, Air India under lens
Since the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad involving a Boeing 787-8 aircraft on June 12, both the airline and the aircraft maker have been under the scanner. Several technical issues have been reported on different flight since then even as the probe into the Ahmedabad crash continues.
Among the recent incidents, a malfunction caused a scare on Air India’s Amritsar-Birmingham flight on October 4. The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed — automatically done when both engines fail or during total electronic or hydraulic failure — and the Boeing 787 plane landed safely.
In another recent incident involving a Boeing plane, a United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight made an emergency landing on October 16 after its windshield cracked midair.
(With agency inputs)