NEW DELHI: An Air India Express pilot abruptly halted the flight when it was about to take-off from the Delhi airport to Mumbai on Wednesday (July 23) night and returned to the parking bay.
This marks the second time this week that a flight from the stable of the Air India Group aborted take-off at the last minute – an Air India flight from Delhi to Kolkata had done it on Monday.
Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India.
IX 1163, an Airbus A320 model, was scheduled to take off from Terminal 3 around 9:30 pm when the incident occurred. Passengers were deplaned and sent by an alternative flight three hours later.
According to a passenger, “The flight came to a sudden and hard stop before it returned to the bay. It looked like a major mishap had been averted. There was a lack of clear communication from the crew to the passengers, causing much anxiety,” he added.
Video and pics shared online about the incident showed passengers worried inside the aircraft and later alighting from the plane.
An official statement from Air India Express said, “The crew of one of our flights from Delhi elected to reject take-off prioritising safety following a manor technical issue. Guests were de-boarded and accommodated in an alternative aircraft which was arranged on priority and has since departed.” The statement added, “We regret the inconvenience while reiterating that safety remains paramount in all our operations.”