An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was forced to turn back to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff on Monday, just days after the airline suffered a devastating crash that claimed the lives of 241 people.
Flight AI315, en route to New Delhi, returned to Hong Kong as a “precautionary measure” due to a technical issue, the airline told Reuters. The seven-year-old aircraft landed safely and underwent a full inspection “as a matter of abundant precaution.”
According to air traffic control recordings reviewed by Reuters via LiveATC.net, one of the pilots contacted controllers around 15 minutes into the flight, requesting to stay near Hong Kong.
“For technical reasons, sir, we would like to stay closer to Hong Kong,” the pilot said. “Maybe we will come back and land back into Hong Kong once we sort out the problem.” He added, “We don’t want to continue further,” before the plane safely returned.
Flight tracking data from AirNav Radar shows the Dreamliner had reached an altitude of 22,000 feet before beginning its descent back.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India following a catastrophic crash last Thursday involving another Boeing 787-8, which went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, en route to London Gatwick. Only one passenger survived the crash, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, who later described the aftermath as a “miracle” and said, “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared.”
In an internal message, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran urged employees to remain focused on safety and view the recent tragedy as a call to action to build a more secure airline.
On Sunday, Air India posted a message of mourning on X:
“Air India remains in mourning on the tragic loss of 241 passengers and crew members aboard flight AI171. Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and communities affected by the accident.”
As the airline navigates ongoing investigations and public concern, this latest in-flight scare further underscores the pressure on Air India to prioritize operational safety.