After Ahmedabad crash, several Air India flights hit by snags, delays
Since June 12, several AI flights, mostly using Boeing planes, have faced delays and returns due to technical and other issues, inviting heightened scrutiny
Since the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 left 274 people dead, including 33 on the ground, the airline has been plagued with snags, delays, and returns. And an overwhelming number of these incidents have been involved with Boeing planes.
The crash of the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 has put the Tata group concern, as well as the controversy-riddled Boeing, under immense pressure. The London-bound plane crashed within moments of take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 on board. Several probes have been launched and Air India’s entire Boeing 787 fleet is under the scanner.
Also read: What Air India must do to arrest its freefall post Ahmedabad plane crash
Two fresh incidents
On Tuesday (June 17) itself, two incidents happened. One, an Air India flight on the same route — Ahmedabad to London — was cancelled due to“operational issues”. This flight, too, was scheduled to operate using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
In the other incident, a Boeing 777-200LR, which was on its way from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata as flight AI180, had to be vacated after landing in Kolkata as a technical issue was identified in the left engine during the layover.
The pilot reportedly told all passengers to deplane as maintenance teams carried out thorough engine checks.
Snags galore
Just the day before, on Monday, an Air India Express Delhi-Ranchi flight returned shortly after take-off because of a suspected technical snag. The plane was yet another Boeing — a 737 Max 8 this time. The aircraft was cleared after a thorough inspection and completed its scheduled services.
Only a week before the fatal accident, on June 16, Air India flight AI 315, yet another Boeing 787-8 plane, on its way from Hong Kong to Delhi, descended from 22,000 feet and returned to Hong Kong shortly after take-off.
The pilot reportedly complained of a “technical issue” and did not wish to take a risk. The passengers were put on other flights as the aircraft underwent precautionary inspections after a safe landing.
Also read: Ahmedabad crash: No flaws found in Air India's 12 Boeing aircraft so far, says minister
Another cancelled flight
An Airbus also been grounded in the recent past. The Airbus A321-211 (VT-PPL), scheduled as Air India Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight AI2493, was first delayed due to “operational reasons”. Eventually, it was cancelled as the crew exceeded their legally mandated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
In another incident, not involving an aircraft or airline fault, an Air India Phuket-New Delhi flight had to make an emergency landing due to an onboard bomb threat on Friday (June 13). It turned out to be a hoax.