Technical snag forces AI flight to return to Srinagar

An Air India flight from Srinagar was forced to return to the airport here today after developing a technical snag mid-air.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah was also onboard the flight.
The Air India flight from Srinagar to Jammu had to return to Srinagar airport after developing a technical snag, officials at the airport said.
They said the flight took off from the airport but developed a snag mid-air and had to return.
Abdullah tweeted, "Not my day to travel. Now my @airindiain flight has turned back from overhead Pulwama after taking off from Srinagar."
He said he would never fly by the airline on the sector as "too many technical issues keep cropping up".

"Serve(s) me right for boarding a 28 year old plane. Never using Air India on this sector again. Too many technical issues keep cropping up," he said.

Earlier, Abdullah was to travel to Surankote in Jammu region via Mughal Road, but he had to cancel his travel plan because of a "fidayeen" attack in Pulwama.
"Militant attack on the District Police Lines Pulwama, an hour before I was going to drive through the area has forced a major change of plans.
"I was looking forward to using the Mughal road to cross Pir Ki Galli & start my tour from Surankote. Will now fly to Jammu & start from there," he said in a series of tweets.

He said there was a time not long ago when he wouldn't think twice about an impromptu drive through the four districts of South Kashmir but it wasn't possible any longer.