Mumbai– An Air India flight bound for Newark, New Jersey, was forced to return to Mumbai shortly after takeoff on Tuesday after the crew detected a suspected technical issue, the airline said in a statement.
“The crew of flight AI191 operating from Mumbai to Newark on October 22 made a precautionary air return to Mumbai due to a suspected technical issue. The flight landed safely back in Mumbai, and the aircraft is undergoing necessary inspections,” Air India said.
The airline did not disclose the number of passengers on board or the exact timing of the return. Under normal scheduling, flight AI191 departs Mumbai at 1:10 a.m. (IST) and arrives in Newark at 7:55 a.m. (EDT).
Due to the return and subsequent inspection, the corresponding Newark–Mumbai flight, AI144, was also canceled.
The incident follows another technical snag reported just days earlier, when an Air India flight from Milan to Delhi was grounded at Milan’s airport on October 17, stranding more than 250 passengers ahead of Diwali. That Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANN) was unable to operate the return journey after landing in Milan due to a maintenance issue.
Air India arranged an additional flight from Milan to Delhi on October 19 to bring home 256 affected passengers, providing hotel accommodation, meals, and the option of a full refund or complimentary rescheduling.
A similar incident occurred on August 16, when another Mumbai–Newark flight was canceled after a technical issue was detected during pushback. According to the airline, the delay caused the crew to exceed mandatory flight duty time limits, rendering the flight unsafe to operate.
Air India said safety remains its top priority and that all precautionary measures were taken in accordance with aviation protocols. (Source: IANS)
