Air India: Descent into Despair

Once upon a time, the Maharajah wearing a turban, smiled engagingly, and served you warm towels. Today, he serves you cockroaches in your omelette and plummets you 10,000 feet to death. Welcome to Air India, 2.0. When the Tatas took over the airline in 2022, it was hailed as a corporate coronation: the return of the prodigal to its original home, to be lovingly nursed back to world-class splendour. Instead, it's a Titanic with wings. Let's not mince words: passengers have died. Before, too. When AI 171 fell out of the sky in Ahmedabad, the world was told it was a tragedy. No, it was a reckoning. It lasted 30 seconds in the air. It cost over 270 lives. Days later, a Delhi-bound AI Dreamliner returned to Hong Kong, its airport of origin, after the pilot suspected a technical issue.
He said, 'We don't want to continue further.'—a clear indication that the traumatised pilot would rather go back to base than trust his machine. Another flight from San Francisco to Mumbai was stuck in Kolkata because of a technical snag. Yet another was forced back to Delhi post-takeoff due to technical failure—marking yet another unscheduled diversion. On Tuesday, Air India cancelled seven international flights, including six operated by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, as part of precautionary checks on its Dreamliner fleet, following heightened safety scrutiny by aviation authorities in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad crash.

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Indian Express

32 minutes ago

• Indian Express

Air India passenger complains of ‘hissing' noise on Delhi-Hong Kong flight, here's what the airline had to say

Passengers aboard an Air India flight from Delhi to Hong Kong raised concerns after reportedly hearing a 'shaking, hissing' noise coming from the door of the Boeing 787 shortly after takeoff. According to a report in the Times of India, the unsettling sound sparked worry among passengers. A social media user shared a photo allegedly taken during the flight. In the post, the user claimed that the cabin crew responded to the complaints by stuffing napkins into the door to muffle what they described as 'hissing, growling noises.' 'Scary 15 minutes trauma as reported by the passenger. I do not wish to sound like an activist, or wish to malign any business or brand, but I feel safety & security concerns must be highlighted by each one of us. I presume there are pre-flight safety & security compliance checks which must be taken seriously,' the LinkedIn post read. See here: Responding to the reports, Air India, in a statement, clarified that the noise did not pose any safety threat. 'A hissing sound started emanating from the decorative door panel mid-flight, and after assessing that there was no risk to safety, the crew took action to alleviate the noise. After landing in Hong Kong airport, the aircraft underwent checks by the engineering team,' the airline said, TOI reported. The airline further said thorough inspections were conducted before the aircraft was approved for operations on June 1. The source of the sound was a decorative panel on the door rather than the door mechanism itself, they said. 'All safety parameters were found to be in compliance, and the aircraft was cleared for service. There was no such noise during the return flight AI315 from Hong Kong to Delhi. We would like to reiterate that the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority,' the airline said. Air India confirmed that after the aircraft landed in Hong Kong, it was inspected and found airworthy. It later flew back to Delhi without any reported issues. The incident came to light after the ill-fated Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flying from Ahmedabad to London crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Several aviation incidents and fear have flooded the Internet ever since.

Hindustan Times

37 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

Crack on Hosur flyover disrupts Bengaluru-bound traffic, triggers major jam

A structural fault on the Hosur flyover along the busy Chennai–Bengaluru National Highway caused a major traffic disruption on Saturday, forcing authorities to suspend vehicular movement toward Bengaluru and triggering long snarls in the area. Cracks developed on Tamil Nadu's Hosur flyover (Pic for representation)(X/@satheesh_kcp) According to officials, the flyover near the Hosur Bus Stand developed a significant lateral shift of about half a foot, accompanied by a visible crack in its central section. The unexpected shift raised serious safety concerns, prompting immediate action from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Also Read - Tejasvi Surya slams Bengaluru Metro over fare hike, demands release of fare fixation report Following an emergency inspection by NHAI engineers and road safety teams, authorities decided to shut down the flyover entirely as a precautionary measure, diverting all vehicles to the adjacent service road. The sudden closure led to intense traffic congestion, with Bengaluru-bound vehicles from Salem and Chennai via Krishnagiri forced to take the narrow service lane instead of the elevated corridor. As a result, traffic queues extended up to 3 km, causing significant delays for motorists and commuters. Several passengers travelling toward Bengaluru reported being stuck in gridlocks for over an hour, with traffic moving at a crawl in and around Hosur. While no injuries or accidents were reported, the incident has raised concerns over infrastructure safety on a key highway stretch that sees heavy commercial and passenger traffic every day. Also Read - 'Bangalore is slowly killing us': Entrepreneur couple on moving out of city after 2 years The National Highways Authority has launched a detailed investigation to determine the cause of the structural damage and assess whether there are any underlying issues with the flyover's design or maintenance. Authorities have not yet given a timeline for reopening the flyover but assured that traffic regulation measures will continue until the route is deemed safe for public use. Motorists have been advised to plan alternate routes to avoid congestion near Hosur. (With agency inputs)

News18

37 minutes ago

• News18

Air India Express Flight To Patna Diverted To Varanasi Due To Bad Weather

Earlier in the week, on Monday, another Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi had to return Delhi shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Patna was diverted to Varanasi on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions. An airline spokesperson said that Air India Express flight IX1014 from Delhi (DEL) to Patna (PAT) on 21 June 2025 was diverted to Varanasi (VNS). 'Due to adverse weather conditions, one of our flights to Patna was diverted briefly to Varanasi. When the weather improved, the flight resumed and landed in Patna. We regret the delay caused by circumstances beyond our control," the spokesperson said. Earlier in the week, on Monday, another Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi had to return to the national capital shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. The airline said the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane was scheduled to land at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport at 6:20 PM. After the inspection and clearance, the aircraft continued its normal operations. 'One of our flights returned to Delhi after take-off due to a suspected technical issue. Post inspections and clearance, the aircraft continued scheduled operations. We regret the inconvenience," the airline spokesperson said. Earlier on Friday, Air India cancelled several international and domestic flights due to increased aircraft checks, bad weather, and airspace restrictions. Affected flights include services between Dubai, Chennai, Delhi, Melbourne, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. According to an Air India's statement, 'Air India's international flights AI906 from Dubai to Chennai; AI308 from Delhi to Melbourne; AI309 from Melbourne to Delhi; AI2204 from Dubai to Hyderabad and domestic flights AI874 from Pune to Delhi; AI456 from Ahmedabad to Delhi; AI-2872 from Hyderabad to Mumbai and AI571 from Chennai to Mumbai have been cancelled due to enhanced maintenance and operational reasons." The airline has offered full refunds or free rescheduling and is helping passengers with alternate travel plans. 'We regret the inconvenience caused to passengers. Our colleagues on ground are making alternative arrangements for them to fly to their respective destinations at the earliest. Full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling has been offered to passengers," it said. (ANI) About the Author First Published: June 22, 2025, 10:59 IST