Air India Express Flight Returns to Kozhikode Hours After Take-off Due to Technical Issues

New Delhi: A Doha-bound Air India Express flight (IX 375), carrying 188 passengers, including crew members, was forced to return to Calicut International Airport on Wednesday morning after a technical snag was detected mid-air, the airline confirmed.

The flight, which departed at 9:07 am, landed back safely at 11:12 am. The issue was attributed to a cabin air-conditioning fault, according to airport officials.

“There was some technical issue in the aircraft’s cabin AC. It was not an emergency landing,” said an airport official.

Air India Express termed the incident a “precautionary landing” and stressed that safety remains its highest priority. 

“We regret the inconvenience and reiterate that safety remains our top priority in every aspect of our operations,” said an Air India Express spokesperson.

The alternate flight was scheduled to depart by 1:30 pm.

Airport authorities confirmed that the grounded aircraft would undergo technical inspection. If the fault is unresolvable promptly, the aircraft will be replaced entirely to complete the journey.

This incident adds to a recent spate of precautionary landings.

Air India: No Fuel Control Switch Issues Found in Boeing Fleet

In a related development, Air India on Tuesday addressed safety concerns stemming from last month’s fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Preliminary investigations had focused on the malfunctioning of fuel control switches.

The airline reported no defects after inspecting its entire Boeing fleet.

“In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism,” the airline stated.

The crash, which occurred on June 12 in Ahmedabad and claimed 260 lives, is still under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).