London-bound Air India flight U-turns after being airborne for 7hrs
What's the story
An Air India A350 aircraft, flying from Delhi to London Heathrow, had to return to the national capital due to a suspected technical issue. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon after the flight had been airborne for nearly seven hours. Flightradar data showed that the A350 aircraft, on its way to Heathrow airport, made a turnaround while flying over Saudi Arabian airspace.
Diversion details
Flight was scheduled to land in London
The aircraft took off from Delhi at 6:13am and landed about 1:20pm. According to data, the Air India aircraft flew for almost 3,300 kilometers before turning around mid-air. Sources told PTI that the flight made a U-turn after noises were heard in the aircraft. It takes about 6-7 hours to reach London from Saudi Arabia.
Safety measures
Air India confirms precautionary landing
An Air India spokesperson confirmed that flight AI111 made a precautionary return to Delhi due to the suspected technical issue. The spokesperson said, "The aircraft landed safely and consistent with Air India's high safety standards, it is currently subject to extensive technical evaluations, which will require additional time to complete." No details about the number of passengers on board were immediately available.