27 May,2026 02:18 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
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After being airborne for over eight hours, a San Francisco-bound Air India plane, carrying around 230 passengers, returned to the national capital due to a technical issue on Wednesday morning, according to sources.
"The aircraft landed safely and will undergo technical inspection in line with Air India's safety standards," the airline said in a statement, reported PTI.
A source reported to PTI that there were around 230 passengers on board the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft.
"Flight AI173 from Delhi to San Francisco on May 27 has returned to Delhi due to a technical issue in accordance with the laid down procedures," the airline said, as per PTI reports.
According to PTI, information available with the flight-tracking website Flightradar24.com showed that the plane was airborne for over eight hours. The aircraft started diverting back to the national capital after being airborne for over three hours when it was in Chinese airspace.
Regretting the inconvenience caused to the passengers, Air India said it was making alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination as soon as possible.
"In the meantime, our ground teams are providing all necessary assistance to the passengers, including refreshments, hotel accommodation or rescheduling as opted by them," the airline said, reported PTI.
A Bhopal-bound Air India flight from Mumbai carrying 175 passengers and crew made a "priority" landing at Bhopal on Sunday at around 3:20 pm. The emergency landing was made after the aircraft experienced a technical snag mid-flight, airport officials confirmed.
The flight crew identified the issue while en route and, following standard safety protocols, sought permission for a priority landing at Bhopal's Raja Bhoj Airport. The aircraft landed safely without any incident, and no injuries were reported.
An airport official, while briefing about the incident, said, "A Bhopal-bound Air India flight from Mumbai carrying 175 persons on board made a 'priority' landing here on Sunday due to a snag."
Following the incident, the airline cancelled the return leg of the flight from Bhopal to Mumbai.
(With inputs from PTI)
