An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to New Delhi made an unexpected return to Hong Kong on Monday. According to a source familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters, this decision was taken as a precaution after the pilot reported a potential technical issue while in flight.
Just days following a tragic incident involving an Air India flight to London, which utilized the same model of Boeing aircraft, a crash occurred in Ahmedabad, a city in western India. This disaster took place mere moments after take-off and resulted in the loss of 241 lives out of the 242 individuals on board.
Air India flight AI315, operated by a Dreamliner aircraft, departed from Hong Kong on Monday and is currently undergoing inspections, according to a source familiar with the situation.
AI315 returned to Hong Kong International Airport and requested local standby at approximately 1 p.m. According to a spokesperson from the Airport Authority Hong Kong, the aircraft “landed safely at around 1:15 p.m.” The spokesperson confirmed that airport operations remained unaffected.
Flight AI315 departed from Hong Kong at approximately 12:20 p.m. and arrived at its destination just about an hour later. According to the flight tracking website AirNav Radar, the seven-year-old aircraft ascended to an altitude of 22,000 feet before beginning its descent.
Boeing and Air India have yet to respond to the Hong Kong-New Delhi flight inquiry.
The recent crash presents a significant challenge for Air India, which has been working to modernize its fleet for years, and Boeing, which is in the process of restoring public confidence after facing multiple safety and production issues.
