NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
San Francisco, CA, June 17, 2025: An Air India flight en route from San Francisco to Mumbai was grounded at Kolkata airport early Tuesday after a technical snag was detected in one of its engines during a scheduled stopover.
Flight AI180, a Boeing 777-200LR, landed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata at approximately 12:45 a.m. IST as part of its planned route. While the aircraft was being prepared for its onward journey to Mumbai, the crew noticed a malfunction in the left engine during routine checks.
In the interest of safety, the captain ordered the deplaning of all passengers around 5:20 a.m. Over 200 passengers disembarked safely. Air India provided breakfast and hotel accommodations for the travelers near the airport while alternative arrangements were being made.
Air India officials stated that the aircraft will remain grounded in Kolkata until engineers complete repairs and certify the plane as airworthy. The airline is working to ensure onward travel for the affected passengers as soon as possible.
The incident comes amid increased scrutiny of Air India’s operational safety, following a series of technical issues reported in recent weeks. These include a flight from Delhi to San Francisco that experienced a hydraulic failure and the June 12 crash of flight AI171, which is currently under investigation. In response, aviation authorities have mandated detailed inspections of the airline’s widebody fleet.
No injuries were reported in the latest incident. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to review the technical snag as part of its ongoing oversight.
In a related development, Air India on Tuesday cancelled six international flights — all operated using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners — amid heightened concerns over the safety of the aircraft model. The cancelled routes include AI 915 (Delhi–Dubai), AI 153 (Delhi–Vienna), AI 143 (Delhi–Paris), AI 159 (Ahmedabad–London), AI 133 (Bengaluru–London), and AI 170 (London–Amritsar). Separately, flight AI 315 from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to return to Hong Kong following a technical issue mid-flight.
