Hyderabad: An Air India Express flight bound for Phuket was forced to return to Hyderabad shortly after take-off on Saturday morning due to a technical issue.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, operating as flight IX 110, departed from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at 6:40 a.m. However, just 17 minutes into the flight, the plane began descending after reaching an altitude of over 10,000 feet, according to data from flight tracking service FlightRadar24.

The aircraft landed safely back in Hyderabad at 6:57 a.m. Airport officials confirmed that the unscheduled return was prompted by a technical problem detected post-departure.

Air India Express Spokesperson in its statement said, "Shortly after take-off, crew on one of our flights exercised abundant caution and elected to return to Hyderabad on account of a technical issue".

"We arranged an alternative aircraft on priority, provided refreshments to guests during the delay, and the flight has since departed. We regret the inconvenience while reiterating that safety remains the priority in every aspect of our operations", the airline spokesperson added.