Air India Delhi-Indore flight made ‘pan pan’ call after engine fire alert

The Air India aircraft – operated with an A320 neo aircraft under callsign AI2913 – landed back in Delhi on Sunday after being airborne for over 30 minutes.

Updated on: Sep 2, 2025, 18:34:32 IST

By HT News Desk

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Pilots of an Air India flight operating from Delhi to Indore on Sunday declared "mayday" which was later downgraded to a “pan pan” call before landing back at the originating airport after reporting a fire indication in the right engine, sources said.

The Air India aircraft – operating under callsign AI2913 – was going from Delhi to Indore on Sunday but returned shortly after takeoff. (Reuters/File)

According to the airline, the flight returned to Delhi after the cockpit crew received a fire indication for the right engine of the aircraft and the landing was done safely following standard procedure.

“Flight AI2913, operating from Delhi to Indore on 31 August, air-returned to Delhi shortly after take-off, as the cockpit crew received a fire indication for the right engine. Following standard procedure, the cockpit crew elected to shut down the engine and returned to Delhi where the flight landed safely. The crew had initially made a MAYDAY call to the air traffic control, but later downgraded it to PAN-PAN to indicate urgency rather than an emergency. We confirm that the flight did not make an emergency landing at Delhi. At Air India, the safety of passengers and crew are our top priority,” said the Air India spokesperson.

The Air India aircraft – operated with an A320 neo aircraft under callsign AI2913 – landed back in Delhi on Sunday after being airborne for over 30 minutes as the pilot received a "fire indication" in the right engine of the aircraft.

Mayday call is recognised globally as a life-threatening emergency alert made via radio communication.

Fire indication in right engine

Pilots reported fire indication in the right engine (engine number 2) shortly after take off from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Sunday, sources said.

Air India had confirmed that all passengers and crew members disembarked safely.

The airline arranged an alternate aircraft to Indore.

The affected aircraft was grounded for a detailed engineering inspection to determine the cause of the fire indication.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will review the incident, however, there is no response from the DGCA over the mayday call yet.

"Flight AI2913, operating from Delhi to Indore on August 31, air-returned to Delhi shortly after take off, as the cockpit crew received a fire indication for the right engine," the Tata Group-owned airline said on Sunday without divulging further details.

Air India has amped up security checks on its fleet post the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash in which its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft flying to Gatwick in London crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 passengers on board and several others on ground.

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HT News Desk
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