Back-to-Back Incidents in Air India: Flight to Doha Makes Mid-Air U-Turn

TDT | Manama

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Two Air India Group flights faced technical issues in the span of just two days, prompting swift action but no harm to passengers or crew.

On Wednesday morning, an Air India Express flight (IX375) heading from Kozhikode to Doha had to return to Calicut International Airport shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue. The Boeing 737-86N had taken off at 9:17 AM and landed back safely at 11:12 AM. An airline spokesperson confirmed that a replacement aircraft was arranged, and passengers were served refreshments while they waited. The flight has since continued its journey.

Just a day earlier, another incident occurred involving an Air India flight (AI315) from Hong Kong to Delhi. After landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, the aircraft experienced a fire in its auxiliary power unit (APU), which is a small engine usually located in the tail of the aircraft that powers key systems when the main engines are off.

The fire broke out just as passengers were beginning to disembark. Fortunately, the APU shut down automatically as designed, and there were no injuries. All passengers and crew exited safely. The aircraft remains grounded for inspection, and authorities have been informed.

While both events were handled swiftly and safely, they come as a reminder of the critical role of maintenance and safety protocols in air travel.