NEW DELHI: A Kolkata-bound Air India plane returned to the national capital on Monday morning due to a technical issue.
A source in the know said the aircraft apparently faced an issue with its nose wheel soon after take off and returned to the Delhi airport, where an emergency was also declared for its landing. The plane landed safely, the source added.
When contacted, an Air India spokesperson said the flight AI401 operating from Delhi to Kolkata returned to the national capital due to a technical issue.
"The aircraft landed safely for precautionary checks," the spokesperson told PTI in a statement.
The airline is making alternative arrangements for the passengers to fly them to their destination at the earliest.
Details about the number of passengers who were onboard the aircraft could not be immediately ascertained.
The flight was operated with an A321 plane, according to information available on flight tracking site Flightradar24.
"Full refunds on cancellation and complimentary rescheduling to another date are being offered to guests if so desired by them," the spokesperson said.
This is the third such incident with an Air India flight in the past week. On October 12, an Air India flight had to make an emergency landing after experiencing a technical glitch following take off forcing the plane to circle multiple times in the sky to reduce fuel and weight before landing safely.
On Monday morning, a New York-bound Air India flight from Mumbai was diverted to the Delhi airport following a security concern arising out of a bomb threat in the aircraft.
Two Indigo flights operating from Mumbai Airport to two separate cities in the Middle East also received a bomb threat on Monday.
(With inputs from PTI)