London-bound Air India flight returning to Mumbai, says report
Air India flight AIC129, which took off early this morning from Mumbai for London, is returning to Mumbai.
Air India flight AIC129, which took off early this morning from Mumbai for London, is returning to Mumbai, according to Flightradar24. The decision to turn back is linked to heightened tensions in the Middle East following an Israeli strike on Iranian targets overnight.
After the strikes, Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport was closed until further notice, and Israel's air defence units stood at high alert for possible retaliatory strikes from Iran.
Israeli flag carrier El Al Airlines said it had suspended flights to and from Israel.
Meanwhile, Iranian airspace has been closed until further notice, state media reported.
This comes a day after an Air India flight, carrying 242 passengers, crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport.
The airline has confirmed that 241 people on board its London-bound flight were killed.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft was carrying 242 passengers and crew members. The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.
(This is a developing story.)
