Recently, just two hours into a long-haul flight on Air India, the aircraft had to return, causing disruptions. A mechanical problem forced the Boeing 777, which was operating the Mumbai-New York JFK route, to return.
Flight was interrupted
Daily scheduled passenger service from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) to New York (JFK) is provided by Air India flight AI 119. It took off on November 21 at 02:19, driven by a Boeing 777-200LR, and flew for more than 16 hours to reach New York.
However, a mechanical issue about two hours into the journey compelled the pilots to return the aircraft to Mumbai.
When the aircraft was seen wheeling towards Mumbai, it had entered Iranian airspace, according to flight tracking app Flightradar24.
The aircraft must have been loaded down with a lot of fuel for a mission that lasted over sixteen hours, but the pilots made the decision to end the flight early and return to the starting point out of caution, the airline spokesman said. In a statement, Air India stated,
Concerning the aircraft
This 14.5-year-old Boeing 777-200LR, registration VT-AEI, was formerly operated by Delta Air Lines and is the aircraft involved in the incident. It was delivered in June 2009 and operated for a number of years for the US carrier before it was recently added to Air India's fleet as part of the airline's fleet reorganization initiative.
Through more than 4,900 flight cycles, it has accrued more than 55,000 flight hours. Air India has leased it in order to boost capacity and grow its operations in North America, especially flights to the US.
The most recent event is not the first time a Boeing 777 operated by Air India has had to make an emergency landing during a long flight. A mechanical issue forced one of the airline's Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which was operating flight AI 185 between Delhi and Vancouver in May, to return to Delhi. The airplane in that event had not even flown over the border into India.
A former Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-232/LR now with Air India departing @JFKairport Photo by Cary Liao #T5 #aviationphotography #Boeing777 https://t.co/Wuxg2kUB3O
— Airliners.net (@airliners_net) April 12, 2023
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