Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata
Kolkata, Jun 17: In yet another technical scare involving Air India, passengers of flight AI180 traveling from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata were forced to deplane during a scheduled halt at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport early Tuesday morning due to a critical engine glitch.
The flight, which had taken off from San Francisco as per schedule, landed in Kolkata around 12:45 am. Shortly after touchdown, engineers detected a technical snag in the aircraft's left engine, prompting a thorough safety inspection.
According to sources quoted by PTI, the situation escalated when passengers, who were awaiting take-off to Mumbai, were informed around 5:20 am that they would need to deboard. The flight’s captain personally addressed the travelers, stating the decision was taken purely in the interest of their safety.
Visuals from the tarmac showed ground engineers closely inspecting the aircraft’s left engine while the plane remained stationary. The exact nature of the fault is yet to be officially disclosed.
This incident comes close on the heels of a far more tragic episode just five days ago, when Air India flight AI-171, flying from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport, tragically crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel shortly after take-off. The catastrophic crash claimed the lives of 241 individuals onboard, sparing only one British national, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh.
Tuesday's glitch has reignited concerns over the technical reliability and maintenance protocols followed by the national carrier. With two major incidents in less than a week, aviation experts and flyers alike are calling for a comprehensive audit of Air India’s long-haul fleet.
No injuries were reported in Tuesday’s incident, and all passengers were safely accommodated at the Kolkata airport while arrangements were being made for alternate travel.