An Air India A350 operating from New York (JFK) to Delhi was diverted to Shannon Airport, Ireland, on Monday morning due to a suspected technical issue, officials confirmed. The aircraft, carrying around 300 passengers and crew, was airborne for nearly six hours before making the precautionary landing, reported the PTI.
An Air India spokesperson said the flight, AI102, landed safely at 0430 hours local time in Shannon. “All passengers and crew are safe. The aircraft is currently undergoing detailed technical inspections as per established safety protocols,” the spokesperson added, according to the PTI.
According to data from Flightradar24.com, the plane remained in the air for close to six hours before diversion. Air India emphasised that the move was purely precautionary to ensure the safety of everyone onboard.
Safety first approach
The airline assured that the aircraft would not resume its journey until all technical checks were thoroughly completed. Passengers will be accommodated on rescheduled flights once the aircraft is cleared for service.
Air India and Air India Express to operate 48 flights to West Asia
Meanwhile, the Air India and Air India Express, will operate 48 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on March 16, the airline said in a statement.
The services are being run with the necessary permissions from Indian and local regulatory authorities amid changing conditions in the region, it said.
The airlines will continue scheduled operations to Jeddah and Muscat.
A total of 10 flights between India and Jeddah are planned for the day.
Air India will operate one return flight each from Delhi and Mumbai.
Air India Express will operate flights from Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Mangaluru.
For Muscat, Air India Express will run 12 scheduled services, including flights from Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, along with two services from Kochi, an official statement said.
Additional non-scheduled flights
It said that besides the scheduled operations, the Air India group will also operate 26 non-scheduled flights connecting destinations in United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia with India.
These additional flights will depend on slot availability and operational conditions at departure airports.
The airline said its flights to North America, Europe, Australia and other regions will continue to operate as scheduled.
Passengers whose flights remain temporarily suspended have been offered the option to rebook for a later date without additional charges or receive a full refund, it said.
“Guests booked to travel on any of the routes where Air India group’s scheduled services remain temporarily suspended may conveniently rebook to a future date at no additional charge or opt for a full refund,” the airline statement said.
(with PTI inputs)