An unexpected situation arose on Air India flight AI180, traveling from San Francisco to Mumbai, due to a technical malfunction. On Tuesday, the flight reached Kolkata airport for its scheduled stopover, but had to be grounded due to a technical fault in the left engine.
Air India: India's leading airline, Air India, is once again in the headlines due to a technical malfunction. Passengers on flight AI180, traveling from San Francisco to Mumbai, had to be disembarked during a scheduled stopover at Kolkata airport after a technical malfunction. This incident occurred amidst growing concerns about air travel safety following several recent flight-related incidents in the country.
What happened with AI180 flight?
AI180 flight departed from San Francisco airport as scheduled and arrived at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata around 12:45 AM on Tuesday. During the scheduled stopover, a technical malfunction was detected in the left engine, causing the next leg of the journey—from Kolkata to Mumbai—to be postponed.
The 200+ passengers on board were initially not informed. However, around 5:20 AM, after approximately four hours, passengers were informed that they would have to disembark for safety reasons. The flight captain explained to the passengers that this decision was made prioritizing passenger safety.
Recent Incidents Increasing Concerns
This AI180 incident follows several recent flight-related events, creating an atmosphere of fear and unease among passengers.
Major Accident at Ahmedabad Airport: A few days ago, AI-171, flying from Ahmedabad to London, lost control immediately after takeoff and collided with the hostel of BJ Medical College. This tragic accident resulted in the death of 241 people, including 230 passengers and 11 crew members. Only one British citizen survived the crash.
Mid-Air Technical Failure of Hong Kong-Delhi Flight: AI315 Dreamliner, arriving from Hong Kong to Delhi, had to return due to suspected technical issues during the flight. This flight operates on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which has previously faced criticism due to technical problems.
London-Chennai Flight Makes Emergency Landing: British Airways flight BA35, departing from Heathrow to Chennai, experienced a flap system failure minutes after takeoff. As a result, the aircraft had to circle for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to reduce weight by dumping fuel before making a safe landing.
Bomb Threat to Lufthansa Flight
Lufthansa flight LH752, bound for Hyderabad, was forced to return to Frankfurt airport after receiving a bomb threat. Investigative agencies received the threat via email at 6:01 PM on June 15th. All safety protocols were immediately implemented according to standard operating procedures, and the aircraft landed safely. Smoke was observed emanating from the wheels of a flight that arrived in Lucknow via Jeddah from Saudi Arabia. However, the preparedness of the ARFF (Airport Rescue & Fire Fighting) and the Saudi team averted any mishap.
