Mumbai: An Air India flight headed for Mumbai was forced to return to Delhi on Monday morning after a technical problem was detected shortly after take-off, officials confirmed.
The Boeing 777 aircraft, operating as flight AI887, had departed the national capital around 6.30 am with approximately 335 passengers and crew on board. After remaining airborne for close to an hour, the flight made an unscheduled return and carried out an emergency landing at Delhi airport.
Air India said the decision to turn back was taken by the cockpit crew in line with established safety protocols. “The crew operating flight AI887 from Delhi to Mumbai decided to return to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue, as per standard operating procedure,” the airline said in a statement.
All passengers and crew disembarked safely after landing, the airline added, while apologising for the inconvenience caused by what it described as an unforeseen situation.
According to a source in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the flight crew noticed a drop in oil pressure in the aircraft’s right engine during flap retraction after take-off. The oil pressure reportedly fell to zero, prompting the pilots to initiate an air turn-back as a precautionary measure.
The source said that an inspection of the aircraft is currently underway, and a review of maintenance records has not shown any previous irregularities related to engine oil consumption.
Air India stated that the aircraft is undergoing detailed technical checks and that alternate arrangements have been put in place to transport affected passengers to Mumbai.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that the wide-body Boeing 777-300ER remained in the air for nearly an hour before returning to its point of origin, underscoring the airline’s emphasis on safety while handling the situation.
