Air India San Francisco To Mumbai Flight Suffers Technical Snag; Passengers Deboarded In Kolkata (Video)

Kolkata: Air India flight AI180 from San Francisco to Mumbai made an unscheduled halt in Kolkata due to a technical issue in one of its engines on Tuesday. The flight, which arrived at the Kolkata airport at 12:45 am for a scheduled layover, encountered a snag in its left engine, leading to a prolonged delay on the ground. Around 5:20 am, passengers onboard were asked to deplane as a safety measure.

The flight's captain informed the passengers that the decision was made to prioritise their safety. Visuals from the airport showed passengers deboarding the plane after the crew informed them about the technical issue.

Other visuals showed the aircraft stationary on the tarmac, with ground staff inspecting the affected engine area. The left engine remained under assessment and further updates on the flight's resumption or alternative arrangements for passengers are awaited.

Delhi-Bound Flight Returns To Hong Kong Due To Technical Snag

Meanwhile, a similar technical scare occurred on Monday involving Air India flight AI315, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating from Hong Kong to Delhi. The aircraft took off from Hong Kong as scheduled but had to return shortly after takeoff when the pilot suspected a technical malfunction. Though the specific nature of the fault was not officially disclosed, the pilot made the call to turn back to Hong Kong International Airport as a precaution.

The plane landed safely without any injuries or medical emergencies reported among the passengers. According to a Financial Times report, technical teams began inspecting the aircraft immediately upon its return to identify the cause of the suspected glitch.

On June 13, an Air India flight bound for Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing at Thailand’s Phuket International Airport after a bomb threat was reported mid-air. The flight, AI 379, had departed from Phuket and was en route to New Delhi when the threat was received.

There were 156 passengers on board at the time of the incident. Upon receiving the threat, the flight crew acted swiftly and in accordance with standard security protocols, opting to turn the aircraft back to Phuket. The emergency landing was carried out safely, with no reports of injuries or medical issues.