Air India A350 flight to London returns mid-air to Delhi after technical snag

New Delhi: An Air India A350 aircraft operating flight AI111 from Delhi to London Heathrow made a precautionary return to the national capital on Thursday after a suspected technical issue, officials said.

The Airbus A350-900 aircraft was airborne for several hours before the crew decided to divert and return to Delhi as a safety measure. The flight had departed around 6 am and landed back safely at approximately 12:30 pm.

Sources said unusual noises were heard onboard, prompting the precautionary air-return while the aircraft was flying over Saudi Arabian airspace.

Air India confirmed the incident, stating, "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."

The airline also expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers and said efforts are underway to arrange alternative travel plans to London at the earliest.

The aircraft is currently undergoing extensive technical evaluation, in line with Air India’s safety protocols. Officials indicated that the checks may take additional time before the aircraft is cleared for operations again.

Notably, the same aircraft (A350-900, registration VT-JRF) had faced a technical issue earlier on March 15, when a New York–Delhi flight was diverted to Shannon, Ireland.