Air India flight to Ranchi diverted back to Delhi over tech glitch

An Air India flight from Delhi to Ranchi was forced to return to the national capital shortly after takeoff on Monday due to a technical issue, NDTV reported.  The flight — AI 9695 — from Delhi to Ranchi was scheduled to land at Birsa Munda Airport at 6.20 pm on Monday. It took off from Delhi airport at 4.25 pm. However, due to technical reasons, it was diverted back to the national capital.  "One of our flights returned to Delhi after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. Post inspections and clearance, the aircraft continued scheduled operations," Air India Express spokesperson said, as quoted by ANI.   

It comes hours after Air India’s flight AI 315 from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to turn back mid-air due to a technical snag. The aircraft returned to Hong Kong International Airport about 90 minutes after take-off, as the pilots opted not to continue the journey following the detection of a fault onboard.

 

The latest incident also follows a deadly crash on June 12 involving Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The aircraft, which had departed from Ahmedabad for London, crashed into a medical college hostel shortly after take-off.  The tragedy claimed the lives of 241 out of 242 passengers and crew members, along with 38 people on the ground. A lone survivor, a British passenger seated in 11A, was pulled from the wreckage. This marked the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 since the model began commercial operations in 2011.