The flight had departed from Delhi at 6:13 am and landed back at around 1:20 pm. Data indicated that the aircraft had covered approximately 3,300 km before reversing course. Typically, it takes around 6–7 hours to reach London from Saudi Arabian airspace, though the airline has not clarified why the aircraft took a longer route back to Delhi.
Sources indicated that unusual noises were detected onboard, prompting the decision to turn the aircraft around. A similar issue had earlier been reported on the same aircraft while it was operating flight AI102 between New York (JFK) and Delhi on March 16. At that time, maintenance checks were conducted in coordination with Airbus, and no faults were identified. Following that inspection, the aircraft reportedly completed ten flights without any irregularities.
The same aircraft, registered as VT-JRF, had also been diverted to Shannon on March 15 while en route from New Delhi to New York due to a technical issue.
In a statement, Air India confirmed that the return to Indira Gandhi International Airport was a precautionary measure following a suspected technical problem. The airline said the aircraft landed safely and is undergoing detailed technical inspections in line with its safety protocols. It also stated that passengers were provided with assistance, including refreshments.
The aircraft had been airborne for about four hours before the decision to turn back was made, and remained in the air for close to seven hours in total.
This development follows a similar incident about a week earlier, when a Vancouver-bound Air India flight returned to Delhi after flying for more than seven hours, citing an operational issue. In that case, the Boeing 777-200LR aircraft turned back while over Chinese airspace.
Earlier in the month, an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Manchester also had to return mid-air after nearly seven hours due to sudden airspace restrictions associated with the ongoing tensions involving Iran, which have affected large parts of the Middle East.
