An Air India Airbus A350 aircraft bound for London Heathrow Airport returned to the national capital on Thursday afternoon after experiencing a technical issue, following several hours in the air.
The A350-900 aircraft, registered as VT-JRF, had previously encountered a technical snag on March 15, when it was operating a flight from New York to Delhi and had to be diverted to Shannon.
An Air India spokesperson said flight AI111, operating from Delhi to London on Thursday, made a precautionary return to New Delhi after a suspected technical problem was detected.
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“The aircraft landed safely and, in line with Air India’s stringent safety standards, is currently undergoing detailed technical checks, which will take additional time,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Sources indicated that unusual noises were heard on board, prompting the decision to turn the aircraft back.
The airline also expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers and said efforts were underway to ensure they could continue their journey to London as soon as possible. The exact number of passengers on board was not immediately known.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft had been airborne for around four hours before the diversion decision was made while it was over Saudi Arabian airspace. In total, the plane remained in the air for nearly seven hours before landing back in Delhi.
The flight had departed from Delhi at approximately 6 am and returned at around 12:30 pm. Air India began operating its Airbus A350-900 fleet in January 2024.
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