MUMBAI— A London-bound Air India flight was forced to return to the gate at Delhi airport on Thursday after the cockpit crew detected a possible technical issue just before takeoff.
Flight AI-2017, scheduled to operate from Delhi to London, was taxiing for departure when the pilots aborted the takeoff run and brought the aircraft back for inspection.
“Flight AI-2017 operating from Delhi to London on July 31 returned to the bay due to a suspected technical issue. The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the takeoff run following standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft back for precautionary checks,” Air India said in a statement.
The airline emphasized that all safety protocols were followed and that a replacement aircraft is being arranged to transport passengers to London as soon as possible.
“Our ground staff is providing full support to the guests to minimize inconvenience caused by this unexpected delay. At Air India, the safety and well-being of our passengers remain our top priority,” the statement added.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India’s safety protocols. Earlier this week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) identified 51 safety violations during its annual audit of the airline.
The findings included outdated training manuals, incomplete pilot training, unqualified simulators, and irregularities in approvals for low-visibility operations. Seven of these were labeled as critical Level I breaches, which the airline was ordered to resolve by July 30. The remaining 44 issues must be addressed by August 23.
The DGCA’s audit follows recent enforcement actions, including the grounding of an Air India aircraft after inspectors found its emergency slide overdue for inspection — a key safety component.
The regulator has also issued three show-cause notices to the airline and given it 15 days to respond.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed Parliament that the aircraft with the overdue inspection was grounded immediately until the issue was resolved.
“DGCA has initiated enforcement action against Air India and the responsible personnel as per the Enforcement Policy and Procedure Manual,” Mohol said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. (Source: IANS)
