An Air India A350 aircraft traveling from New Delhi to London returned to Delhi on Thursday due to a technical glitch. It remained airborne for approximately seven hours. According to flight tracking websites, the aircraft had taken off from Delhi around 6:00 AM.
About four hours later, while in Saudi Arabian airspace, the decision was made to turn the aircraft back. In total, the aircraft returned to Delhi seven hours later, arriving around 12:30 PM. According to sources, unusual noises were heard inside the aircraft during the flight.
An Air India spokesperson stated that the aircraft was recalled as a precautionary measure. It is currently undergoing inspection in Delhi. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the passengers and assured that efforts are underway to transport them to London as soon as possible.
According to reports, this very same A350-900 aircraft (VT-JRF) had experienced a technical snag on March 15 as well. On that occasion, the flight—which was traveling from New York to Delhi—had to be diverted to Shannon, Ireland. During that flight, while cruising at an altitude of approximately 33,000 feet, passengers had reported feeling vibrations on the cabin floor.
**DGCA Directs Action Against Air India Over Deployment of Wrong Aircraft**
Meanwhile, the aviation regulator—the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)—has directed Air India to take action regarding an incident involving the deployment of an incorrect aircraft to Vancouver. A DGCA official confirmed that disciplinary action has been initiated against an airline executive in connection with this matter.
The incident occurred on March 19, when an Air India Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, bound for Vancouver from Delhi, returned to its origin after flying for approximately seven hours. The airline had inadvertently deployed a Boeing 777-200LR instead of the scheduled Boeing 777-300ER.
Air India does not possess the necessary regulatory clearance to operate the Boeing 777-200LR in Canada; consequently, the aircraft was unable to land at the destination. The error was discovered only after the aircraft had entered Kunming airspace in China, following nearly four hours of flight.
**Air India Increases Flight Frequency Amidst Conflict in West Asia**
Such technical and manual lapses at Air India are surfacing with increasing frequency at a time when airlines are expanding their international flight operations amidst the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
In view of the rising demand, Air India has announced that it will operate additional flights to North America and Europe between March 19 and March 28. According to the airline, a total of 36 additional flights will be operated on the Delhi-London (Heathrow), Mumbai-London (Heathrow), Delhi-Frankfurt, Delhi-Zurich, and Delhi-Toronto routes.
Prior to this, the airline had also announced the operation of 78 additional flights across nine routes between March 10 and March 18.
**February 13: DGCA Imposes ₹1 Crore Fine on Air India**
India's civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, announced on February 13 that it had imposed a fine of $110,000 (approximately ₹1 crore) on Air India. This action was taken because an Airbus aircraft was operated on eight occasions without a valid 'Airworthiness Review Certificate' (a fitness certificate confirming the aircraft is safe to fly).
The DGCA stated that this lapse has further eroded public trust in the country's second-largest airline. According to the news agency PTI, the incident dates back to November 26, 2025, when Air India itself voluntarily informed the DGCA of this oversight.
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