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Delhi-bound Air India flight returns to Hong Kong after mid-air technical issue
Flight AI315, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had departed Hong Kong for Delhi but returned to its origin as a precautionary measure.
An Air India flight en route from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to turn back on Monday after the pilot reported a suspected technical issue mid-air.
Flight AI315, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had departed Hong Kong for Delhi but returned to its origin as a precautionary measure.
“AI315 operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 16 June 2025 air-returned to Hong Kong shortly after take off due to a technical issue. The flight landed safely at Hong Kong and is undergoing checks as a matter of abundant precaution,” Air India said in statement.
“Alternative arrangements have been planned to fly the passengers to their destination Delhi at the earliest. We are providing all necessary on-ground assistance to the passengers to minimise the inconvenience caused by this unforeseen disruption,” it added.
Earlier, a Lufthansa flight bound for Hyderabad was forced to make a U-turn and return to Frankfurt Airport in Germany after it failed to receive landing clearance, following a bomb threat.
Flight LH752 had departed from Frankfurt and was scheduled to arrive at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport early Monday.
However, the aircraft turned back mid-route. “We did not receive a permit to land in Hyderabad, and that's why the aircraft took a U-turn and returned,” ANI quoted Lufthansa Airlines as saying.
The aircraft’s unexpected diversion raised questions, as the airline cited a lack of landing clearance, while airport authorities attributed the incident to the bomb threat.
Public outrage has surged against Air India in the wake of the devastating Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad. Families and mourners have expressed deep frustration over perceived lapses in the airline’s maintenance and pilot training procedures, with many calling for a full overhaul of safety protocols and greater accountability from management.
The government has constituted a high-level panel to investigate the flight crash and the inquiry committee, comprising senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and independent aviation safety experts, will look into possible technical failures, maintenance records, and crew actions leading up to the incident.
On June 12, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
All 241 people on board were killed. The incident triggered a large-scale emergency response and has since become one of India’s deadliest aviation tragedies.
