New Delhi: An Air India flight from Vienna to Delhi had to be diverted to Dubai after several features of the autopilot refused to function. According to Republic TV, this happened at 39,000 feet.
The pilots of the Boeing 787 then took the decision to divert to Dubai and flew the aircraft manually. While Air India has confirmed the diversion, it did not mention the exact cause.
Around 2.45 AM on October 9, the autopilot system suddenly disconnected on the Air India flight AI154 triggering a series of technical malfunctions, Republic TV reported. The aircraft apparently experienced failures across critical systems including – GLS (GBAS Landing System), Flight Directors (FDs), Auto Throttle, and Flight Control System degradation (no Auto-Land capability).
The pilots failed to re-engage the autopilot, forcing the crew to manually fly the Boeing 787 for the remainder of the flight. After informing Air Traffic Control (ATC), the pilots decided to divert to Dubai and landed safely.
The crew was unable to re-engage the Auto Pilot. ATC was informed, and the flight crew decided to divert to Dubai (DXB). The aircraft was hand-flown throughout and landed safely at Dubai.
“AI154 operating from Vienna to New Delhi on 09 October was diverted to Dubai to a suspected technical issue. The aircraft landed safely at Dubai and underwent necessary checks. All passengers were kept informed of the delay, provided refreshments and the flight departed at 08:45 hours IST. We regret the inconvenience caused due to the unforeseen delay. At Air India, the safety of passengers and crew remain top priority,” Air India said in a statement.
Meanwhile, civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu has called for a meeting with the representatives of all airlines on Friday. In the meeting, the CEOs, Operations Safety, and Engineering Heads of airlines including Air India, Indigo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Alliance Air, and others are scheduled to give a presentation on the occurrence of recent mid-air incidents and what has been done so far to ensure safety of the passengers.
