An Air India flight AI180 from San Francisco to Mumbai was forced to deplane passengers in Kolkata due to a technical snag in the left engine.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft arrived at Kolkata airport at 00:45 hours, but the technical issue delayed its onward journey to Mumbai. Fortunately, all passengers were safely deplaned with
no injuries reported.
This incident adds to a recent spate of technical glitches affecting Air India flights. For instance, an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi was diverted back to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical problem, marking the
fourth such incident in 36 hours.
These events come in the wake of a tragic crash of Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, killing
241 of the 242 people on board. Following that, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced safety checks on Air India's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet.
An Air India Express spokesperson stated, "One of our flights returned to Delhi after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. Post inspections and clearance, the aircraft continued scheduled operations."
The recent technical issues highlight ongoing safety concerns and operational challenges for Air India amid increased scrutiny from aviation authorities.
Key quotes and stats:"All Air India passengers were safely deplaned at Kolkata airport, and no injuries were reported."
"This is the fourth such incident in the last 36 hours when a flight faced emergency issues mid-air."
"Following the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also ordered enhanced safety checks on Air India's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet."
Sources: 
An Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai was forced to deplane passengers in Kolkata due to a technical snag in the left engine. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft arrived safely at Kolkata with no injuries reported, amid a series of recent technical issues in Air India flights.
