Air India Flight AI-996 to Delhi Cancelled in Dubai After Passengers Board Due to Technical Glitch

New Delhi: Air India’s Flight AI-996, operated by a Boeing 787 aircraft, was cancelled in Dubai due to a technical issue. The cancellation came after all passengers had already boarded for the Dubai-to-Delhi journey.

Several Air India flights have faced disruptions over the past few days due to technical and operational issues.

Earlier on Tuesday, Flight AI-159, also a Boeing 787, scheduled to depart from Ahmedabad to London at 1:10 pm, was cancelled due to a technical snag. The aircraft had arrived in Ahmedabad from New Delhi and was set for the onward journey to London. 

This was the second Ahmedabad-London flight affected by technical issues, following the June 12 crash near Ahmedabad airport that killed 241 of the 242 people onboard.

On Monday, a Delhi-Ranchi Air India Express flight had to return to the capital shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. Another Air India flight returned to Hong Kong midair due to a technical problem. 

The New Delhi-bound flight landed safely and was undergoing checks, according to the airline. The Hong Kong Airport Authority confirmed that flight AI315 returned around 1 pm.

Separately, a Monday flight was cancelled after delays caused by operational issues led to the expiry of the crew's duty hours.

Meanwhile, following the June 12 air crash, India’s deadliest in decades-authorities have confirmed that 144 of the 270 victims have been identified through DNA matching.