An Air India flight bound for San Francisco was forced to return to New Delhi on Wednesday after developing a technical snag midair over Chinese airspace.
Flight AI173, a Boeing 777-300ER, departed from Indira Gandhi International Airport at 3:09 a. m.
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local time.
The aircraft experienced a failure of its traffic collision avoidance system, prompting airline officials to order a return to Delhi.
A functional collision avoidance system is mandatory for flights over the North Atlantic oceanic region, making the diversion necessary.
The flight carried around 230 passengers and was airborne for over eight hours before landing safely back in Delhi.
The incident comes as Air India undergoes a high-visibility transformation to rebuild its global network and reliability.
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The loss-making airline faced significant fuel costs from the diversion, as a Boeing 777 burns approximately 8 to 9 tonnes of fuel per hour.
"The aircraft landed safely and will undergo technical inspection in line with Air India’s safety standards," the airline said in an official statement.
Ground teams at the airport were deployed to manage the disruption and assist affected passengers with alternative travel arrangements.
"In the meantime, our ground teams are providing all necessary assistance to the passengers, including refreshments, hotel accommodation, or rescheduling as opted by them," Air India added.
The grounded aircraft will remain out of service until a full inspection is completed.
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Separately, another Air India flight carrying 175 people from Mumbai made a priority landing in Bhopal on Sunday due to a different technical issue.
