HONG KONG (Diya TV) – An Air India flight bound for Delhi returned to Hong Kong on Monday after the pilots detected a suspected technical glitch mid-air and chose not to continue the journey.
Flight AI315, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off from Hong Kong at 12:20 p.m. local time. About 15 minutes into the flight, pilots informed air traffic control (ATC) that they wanted to stay near Hong Kong due to a technical issue. “We don’t want to continue further,” one of the pilots can be heard saying in audio now circulating online.
The aircraft, which reached an altitude of 22,000 feet, circled the area before descending and safely landing at Hong Kong International Airport at around 1:15 p.m.
Air India confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the flight returned “due to a technical issue.” The airline did not provide further details but added that the aircraft is undergoing checks and that alternate arrangements are being made for affected passengers.
The Airport Authority of Hong Kong said the pilots requested local standby shortly before landing. There were no injuries or reported damage.
Tracking data from Flightradar24 and AirNav Radar shows the plane spent less than 90 minutes in the air.
This incident comes just days after a devastating crash involving another Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. On June 12, an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after takeoff, striking the doctors’ hostel of BJ Medical College. Of the 242 people on board, 241 died. Only one passenger, a British national of Indian origin, survived and remains hospitalized.
The repeated issues with Dreamliner aircraft have raised serious concerns about safety. On Sunday, a British Airways Dreamliner returned to London while en route to Chennai, also due to technical issues. A Lufthansa flight to Hyderabad turned back to Frankfurt after receiving a bomb threat.
Air India has assured passengers that it is offering full ground support in Hong Kong and aims to fly them to Delhi as soon as possible.
