Ethiopian Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Mumbai
What's the story
A Mumbai-bound Ethiopian Airlines flight, ET640, made an emergency landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in the early hours of Friday. The incident took place after seven passengers fell ill due to a mid-air depressurization issue. The problem occurred when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was flying over the Arabian Sea at an altitude of 33,000 feet.
Descent details
Rapid descent to a lower altitude
Upon detecting the depressurization issue, the pilots decided to make a rapid descent to a lower altitude. The aircraft made an emergency landing at 1:42am. After landing, seven passengers were attended to by the airport's medical team for decompression-related symptoms. One of them was hospitalized due to the severity of their condition.
Safety concerns
Similar incident on Air India flight
The incident comes just days after a similar episode on June 23, when five passengers and two crew members on an Air India flight from London to Mumbai reported feeling dizzy and nauseous. The cause of their illness is still under investigation. These incidents have raised concerns over aviation safety in India, especially after recent DGCA surveillance checks revealed several violations at key airports.
Regulatory action
DGCA orders corrective measures
In light of the recent incidents, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered corrective measures to be implemented within a week. The regulatory authority is also investigating the cause of illness on Air India flights. These developments come amid ongoing scrutiny over civil aviation safety in India after a tragic crash involving an Air India flight in Ahmedabad, where 274 people died, which has heightened concerns about aviation safety standards.