Mumbai-bound Air India flight engine shuts down mid-air; returns to Delhi

An Air India flight operating from Delhi to Mumbai was forced to return to the national capital shortly after take-off on Monday morning after one of its engines shut down mid-air.

According to reports, the Boeing 777 aircraft, operating as AI-887, departed Indira Gandhi International Airport at 6:10 am for Mumbai. Shortly after take-off, the flight crew detected a technical issue involving the aircraft’s right-side engine, following which the pilot contacted Air Traffic Control and sought permission to return to Delhi.

Flight tracking data indicates that the aircraft remained airborne for around 40 minutes before making a precautionary landing. The aircraft landed safely at Delhi at around 6:50–6:52 am. All passengers and crew members on board were reported safe.

Emergency Procedures Followed

Sources said the pilot followed standard safety protocols after identifying the engine issue. As the Boeing 777 is a twin-engine aircraft certified to operate safely on a single engine, the decision was taken to return to the departure airport as a precautionary measure.

The aircraft involved in the incident is registered as VT-ALS. While there was no emergency evacuation, some passengers reportedly experienced anxiety after being informed about the technical issue during the flight.

DGCA Monitoring and Alternate Aircraft Arranged

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took note of the incident and is overseeing the technical investigation into the engine shutdown. Source reported that the regulator is examining the cause of the malfunction in coordination with the airline’s engineering team.

To minimise passenger inconvenience, Air India arranged an alternative Boeing 777 aircraft, registered as VT-ALP, to operate the Delhi–Mumbai sector. Passengers were transferred to the replacement aircraft to continue their journey.

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As of the last reports, Air India has initiated checks to determine the reason for the engine shutdown, and the aircraft was taken out of service for technical examination.