A Singapore-bound Air India flight made an emergency return to Chennai, its departure city, after pilots detected a technical snag mid-air on Friday. As per officials, the pilots identified the issue shortly after takeoff and promptly contacted air traffic control to request an emergency return. The aircraft, carrying approximately 170 passengers, safely landed without incident, they added.
An Air India official said the flight AI 346 from Chennai to Singapore returned due to the suspected technical issue. The aircraft landed safely for precautionary checks. All passengers and crew disembarked safely, the official added.
The official also said alternative arrangements were made to promptly fly the passengers to Singapore from Chennai.
Delhi-bound flight makes emergency landing
Earlier on January 5, a Delhi-bound Air India flight also made an emergency landing after one of its engines shut off midair. Flight 2820 took off on Sunday evening at about 7 pm from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, news agency PTI reported citing sources. It returned an hour later after revolving around Bengaluru, the sources added. The sources also said that no untoward incident happened and all the passengers were safe.
Air India rolls out Wi-Fi service on select aircraft
It should be mentioned here that Air India also rolled out Wi-Fi internet connectivity services on board domestic and international flights on its widebody Airbus A350 and Boeing 787-9 fleet as well as on select Airbus A321neo aircraft. This makes Air India the first airline to offer such services on flights within India, the airline said. Accessible on Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones with iOS or Android operating systems, the in-flight Wi-Fi will also allow guests to connect multiple devices simultaneously when above 10,000 feet, it said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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