Kozhikode: In continuing trouble for the airline since the horrific Ahmedabad crash, an Air India Express flight from Kozhikode to Doha was forced to turn back shortly after take-off on Wednesday morning following a technical snag.
The Boeing 737 aircraft, operating as flight IX375, had taken-off from Kozhikode at 9.17 am. Soon after, the pilot decided to return to the base airport as a precautionary measure.
An Air India Express spokesperson confirmed the incident and said: “One of our flights returned to Kozhikode after take-off due to a technical issue. We arranged an alternative aircraft on priority, provided the guests with refreshments during the delay and the flight has since departed. We regret the inconvenience and reiterate that safety remains our top priority in every aspect of our operations.”
Passengers were accommodated on an alternative aircraft, and the flight later continued to Doha.
On Tuesday, a fire in the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) of an Air India flight from Hong Kong to Delhi was reported shortly after it landed and passengers began disembarking. According to the airline, flight AI 315 experienced an auxiliary power unit (APU) fire after parking at the gate. The APU automatically shut down as per system design, and passengers disembarked safely.
On Monday, another Air India flight, AI 2403 from Delhi to Kolkata, was forced to abort take-off after a technical glitch was detected at the last moment. The cockpit crew stopped the aircraft as per standard operating procedures, and all 160 passengers were safely disembarked. The flight later departed for Kolkata in the evening.
Earlier on Monday, flight AI 2744 from Kochi to Mumbai veered off the runway after landing in heavy rainfall. Three of the Airbus A320’s tyres burst and the aircraft suffered partial damage to one of its engines but all passengers disembarked safely, following protocols.