Air India San Francisco–Mumbai Flight Faces Engine Snag, Passengers Deplaned In Kolkata
Air India San Francisco–Mumbai Flight Faces Engine Snag, Passengers Deplaned In Kolkata
An Air India flight en route from San Francisco to Mumbai experienced a technical issue during its scheduled stopover in Kolkata early Tuesday, leading to a significant delay and the deplaning of passengers.
Flight AI180, a Boeing 777-200LR, landed at Kolkata airport around 12:45 am and was scheduled to resume its journey to Mumbai by 2:00 am. However, during ground checks, a technical fault was detected in the aircraft’s left engine. In the interest of passenger safety, the flight crew made an onboard announcement around 5:20 am, instructing all passengers to disembark.
Ground staff and maintenance teams were seen inspecting the aircraft on the tarmac, as visuals from the scene showed heightened activity around the faulty engine.
This incident follows a series of technical issues reported across multiple wide-body aircraft in recent days. Just a day earlier, another Air India flight (AI315) from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to return mid-flight due to a suspected malfunction. Additionally, a British Airways flight to Chennai returned to London after a fault developed mid-air.
Amid these recurring safety concerns, the DGCA has ordered Air India to conduct enhanced maintenance checks on all its Boeing aircraft, including critical system diagnostics and engine performance reviews.
