New Delhi— An Air India Express flight traveling from Delhi to Srinagar via Jammu was forced to return to the capital on Monday due to suspected GPS signal interference, airline officials said.
Flight IX-2564 was scheduled to land in Jammu around noon. However, the aircraft circled the area for an extended period before the pilot made the decision to return to Delhi as a safety precaution.
In a statement to IANS, an Air India Express spokesperson confirmed: “Our Delhi–Jammu flight returned to Delhi as a precautionary measure, following a suspected GPS interference incident. Subsequently, an alternative flight was arranged to connect guests to Jammu. We regret the inconvenience caused.”
The airline also noted that “instances of GPS signal interference have been reported by operators while flying over certain sensitive regions.”
The incident follows another disruption involving the airline just a day earlier at Patna Airport.
Flight IX-2936 from Bengaluru to Patna, carrying 180 passengers, landed on Sunday morning at approximately 8:30 a.m. Passengers were initially directed to collect their checked-in baggage from Belt No. 4. However, confusion and frustration erupted when no luggage arrived.
Upon inquiry, airline staff informed passengers that the baggage had not been loaded onto the aircraft due to weight restrictions. This revelation sparked protests at the airport, prompting intervention from Air India Express staff and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel to manage the situation.
Many affected passengers were distressed, especially those with tight connections to other flights.
Air India Express staff collected the contact information of the impacted travelers and assured them that their luggage would be delivered to their homes. (Source: IANS)
