New Delhi : An Air India Airbus A350-900 aircraft (VT-JRF) operating from New Delhi to London was forced to return to Delhi on Thursday due to a technical issue, after remaining airborne for nearly seven hours.
According to flight tracking data, the aircraft took off from Delhi at around 6:00 am. About four hours into the journey, while flying over Saudi Arabian airspace, the crew decided to turn the aircraft back as a precaution. The plane eventually landed safely in Delhi at approximately 12:30 pm.
Sources said unusual noises were heard during the flight, prompting concern. However, an Air India spokesperson stated that the aircraft was returned as a precautionary measure, and it is currently undergoing inspection in Delhi. Efforts are being made to ensure passengers reach London at the earliest.
Data from Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft made a U-turn near Oman before heading back to Delhi.
This is the second such incident involving the same aircraft in recent days. On March 15, while flying from New York to Delhi, passengers seated in rows 32 and 33 reported strong vibrations and noise from beneath the cabin floor. The aircraft, carrying around 300 passengers, was near the Irish coast at the time and was diverted to Shannon Airport as a safety measure.
The plane was brought back to Delhi on March 19 and subsequently operated around 10 flights on the Delhi–London–Delhi and Delhi–New York (via Rome) routes. However, Thursday’s incident marks another recurrence of a similar technical issue.