According to an Air India spokesperson, the aircraft returned to the bay shortly after pushback following a suspected technical problem; the flight, initially expected to take off early in the morning, has now been rescheduled for 1:00 PM
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Air India flight AI129, scheduled to depart from Mumbai for London at 6:30 AM on Saturday, was delayed by over six hours due to a technical issue, the airline confirmed. The flight, initially expected to take off early in the morning, has now been rescheduled for 1:00 PM, reported ANI.
According to an Air India spokesperson, the aircraft returned to the bay shortly after pushback following a suspected technical problem. “Passengers were disembarked, and the aircraft underwent necessary checks. Subsequently, the crew came under the mandatory Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) protocol, restricting them from operating the flight immediately,” the spokesperson said.
“Alternative arrangements have been made, and the flight is scheduled to operate shortly. We regret the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this unforeseen situation. Our ground team at Mumbai is providing all possible assistance to minimise inconvenience. At Air India, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers remain top priority,” the airline added.
Passengers on board said they were initially informed of a minor delay of around 30 minutes. Boarding eventually began at 6:00 AM instead of the scheduled 5:20 AM. However, after sitting inside the aircraft for over an hour, they were asked to deplane once the technical issue was confirmed. Many passengers, who had stayed awake through the night to catch the early morning flight, expressed frustration over the extended delay, reported ANI.
Meanwhile, flight operations across major airports were affected a day earlier when at least 100 flights were delayed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) due to a technical glitch in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system.
In a post on X, Delhi Airport stated, “Due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, flight operations at IGIA are experiencing delays. The team is actively working with all stakeholders, including DIAL, to resolve it at the earliest.”
Several airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, also issued advisories warning passengers of potential disruptions. Air India, in its statement, said, “A technical issue with the ATC system in Delhi is impacting flight operations across all airlines, leading to delays and longer wait times. We regret the inconvenience caused by this unforeseen disruption and appreciate passengers’ patience.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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