Bengaluru: Yet another technical snag was reported on an Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Kolkata on Sunday evening. The flight – IX2718 – took off from Bengaluru, but was forced to return after being in the air for two hours, officials confirmed.
“One of our flights from Bengaluru returned to the airport following a technical issue. The aircraft circled to reduce fuel and weight before executing a safe, precautionary landing,” an Air India Express spokesperson said on Monday.
An alternate aircraft was later arranged to transport the passengers to Kolkata. An investigation has been launched by the airline but further details were not shared.
Earlier in the day on Sunday, Air India was forced to cancel a flight from Singapore to Chennai due to a technical snag. Passengers were put up in hotels till alternate arrangements could be made.
Both Air India and Air India Express have been plagued by technical snags since the deadly crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 that killed 260 people, including 229 passengers and 12 crew members.
Pilots say that the crash has made them extra cautious. They are no longer taking any chances. They have also been instructed not to ignore even the most minor of technical issues, no matter the delay.
“Minor snags are common in aircraft. Experienced pilots know what to ignore and when to actually abort a flight. In many cases, warning lights come on without any reason. These are known as false-positive warnings. Before the Ahmedabad crash, pilots would take some risks and ignore minor issues. However, the crash has shattered our confidence,” a pilot said.
“We have seen crashes in the past. Most happened during landings and within our own circle, we were able to make out the cause even before the investigation report was out. The Ahmedabad crash has left us bewildered and we can no longer trust our own senses,” he added.