Air Travel in Trouble After Ahmedabad Tragedy: Bomb Scares, Technical Faults, and Flight Disruptions Surge Across Airlines

India’s aviation sector is facing a wave of disruption following the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed 270 people, including 29 on the ground. In the days since, airlines have dealt with multiple bomb threats, emergency landings, and a surge in flight cancellations, triggering chaos for thousands of passengers.

A Week of Flight Emergencies and Scares

1. Air India Flight Returns to Phuket Mid-Air
On June 13, a Delhi-bound Air India Airbus A320neo returned to Phuket after a mid-air security alert. The flight landed safely following standard safety protocols.

2. Lufthansa Jet to Hyderabad Turns Back After Bomb Threat
On June 16, Lufthansa Flight LH752 heading to Hyderabad was forced to return to Frankfurt after a bomb threat was received mid-flight.

3. Bomb Threat Diverts IndiGo Flight to Nagpur
June 17 saw an IndiGo Muscat-Kochi-Delhi flight diverted to Nagpur after a bomb threat. The aircraft, carrying 157 passengers, landed safely and underwent a security check.

Technical Faults Force Multiple Diversions

4. Air India Express Flight Delayed 18 Hours
A Guwahati-Kolkata flight was delayed for over 18 hours on June 15 due to repeated technical issues that forced passengers to deboard twice.

5. British Airways Jet to Chennai Returns to London
A Dreamliner headed to Chennai returned to London on the same day after a technical snag was detected mid-air.

6. Saudia Haj Flight Lands Amid Sparks and Smoke
On June 15, a flight from Jeddah carrying 242 Haj pilgrims landed in India with smoke and sparks from the landing gear, triggering an emergency response.

7. Air India Dreamliner Turns Back to Hong Kong
An Air India flight to Delhi was forced to return to Hong Kong on June 16 due to suspected technical issues within an hour of takeoff.

Air India Grounds Flights, Key Routes Cancelled

In the aftermath of the crash, Air India grounded over 80 flights for checks and safety reviews. On June 17 alone, six more flights were cancelled. Affected routes include:

• San Francisco–Kolkata–Mumbai: Terminated mid-route due to engine issues.
• Ahmedabad–London Gatwick: Cancelled due to precautionary aircraft checks.
• Delhi–Paris (AI-143): Scrapped after hydraulic issues were found pre-flight.
• London–Amritsar (AI-170): Cancelled due to aircraft unavailability.
• Delhi–Dubai (AI-915) and Delhi–Vienna (AI-153): Dropped amid operational disruptions.
• Mumbai–San Francisco: Flight ended prematurely at Kolkata.
• Bengaluru–London: Cancelled on June 17 due to Dreamliner-related issues.

Passenger Relief Measures

In light of the turmoil, Air India is offering:

• Full refunds with zero cancellation fees
• Flexible rebooking
• One-time rescheduling fee waivers

Affected passengers can claim refunds or rebook through the Air India website or customer service channels.