Latest news with #AI-315
NDTV
22-07-2025
- General
- NDTV
Air India Hong Kong-Delhi Flight Catches Fire After Landing, Passengers Safe
New Delhi: The auxiliary power unit of Air India flight AI-315, flying from Hong Kong to Delhi, caught fire shortly after the plane landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the airline said Tuesday. The fire was detected while passengers were exiting the plane, the airline said. The auxiliary power unit, or APU, was automatically shut down once the system detected the fire, and passengers and crew continued to disembark safely, the airline also said. Air India said there was "some damage" to the aircraft - a twin-jet Airbus A321 - which has been grounded pending an investigation. The Director-General of Civil Aviation has been notified. The Delhi incident is the latest worry for a domestic carrier that has received nine notices in six months for five safety violations, junior Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol told Parliament Monday. 3 Incidents In 2 Days For AI This is also the third near-miss for Air India in 48 hours. On Monday a Kochi-Mumbai flight veered off the runway while landing, damaging both the plane and the tarmac. Pictures accessed by NDTV showed crumpling of the engine cover. And later in the day a Delhi-Kolkata flight aborted its take-off at the last possible minute - when the plane was travelling at 155 km per hour. The airline later said a "technical issue" had been detected during take-off. Incidentally, there was a "technical issue" that affected a plane in the same sector last month too. Then it was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and the aircraft was forced to return to Hong Kong airport. This was three days after the Air India Ahmedabad plane crash. AI-171 Boeing Plane Crash But the biggest concern is still the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flying as AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London, that crashed 32 seconds after take-off on June 12. There is no explanation yet for the crash. The crash, captured live on a phone camera, killed 274 people, including 19 on the ground, after the plane lost thrust mid-air and hit a college hostel. Only one person on the plane survived. A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau indicated both fuel supply switches had moved from the 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' positions seconds after the plane took off. NDTV Decodes | Engines Shut, Fuel Cut Off - Inside Doomed Air India Flight The final report - which should explain exactly what happened - is pending. However, multiple press reports have focused on the switch positions and a fragment of the recorded conversation between Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder. In that fragment one pilot (it is not clear who) asks the other why he shut off the fuel supply. In response the second pilot says he did not. American publication the Wall Street Journal has claimed the recording indicates the pilot - Captain Sabharwal - deliberately switched off the fuel supply. The claim, which lacks definitive proof, has been heavily condemned by the Indian government and the aviation community. Last week the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, or AAIB, slammed international media for "unverified" and "irresponsible" reporting. The foreign press' reportage was also called out by the United States' National Transportation Safety Board, which is helping the AAIB in this matter. The fuel supply switches on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner - which was the plane that crashed - are designed to be immobile unless specifically moved by a pilot, i.e., they are spring-loaded, and have to be lifted up and slotted into position. This is to avoid accidental movement. In the aftermath of the AAIB's initial report, domestic airlines operating Boeing jets were instructed to conduct checks on switches that regulate fuel supply to the engines. This was made mandatory for all India-registered Boeing planes. Air India later said it had finished the checks and found "no issues".
Hindustan Times
16-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Snags, bomb threat lead to 3 India-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliners returning to origin in 36 hours
Technical snags and a bomb threat resulted in three India-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft returning to origin after takeoff in the last 36 hours. The planes were bound for Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi from other countries. This comes days after an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft bound for London crashed in Ahmedabad, shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 passengers on board. In the most recent case, a Delhi-bound Air India AI-315 Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Hong Kong returned to its origin airport within an hour of takeoff after the pilot suspected a technical snag. The airline said in a statement that the flight landed safely in Hong Kong and all passengers disembarked from the plane. An inspection of the aircraft is underway, it added. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner left from Hong Kong at 12:16 pm (local time) (around 9:45 am IST) and was scheduled to land in Delhi at 12:20 pm IST. However, according to Flightradar24, the flight took off from Hong Kong after a delay of around 3.5 hours. "AI315 operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 16 June 2025 returned to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue. The flight landed safely at Hong Kong and is undergoing checks as a matter of abundant precaution. Alternative arrangements have been planned to fly the passengers to their destination Delhi at the earliest," Air India said. The airline said that it was providing all necessary on-ground assistance to the passengers to minimize the inconvenience caused by this unforeseen disruption. On Sunday, a Chennai-bound flight of British Airways returned to London's Heathrow Airport after a technical issue. The airline issued a statement on the same. It said, "The flight landed safely with crew and customers disembarking as they normally would, and our teams are working hard to get their journeys back on track as soon as possible." The Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from London after a 36-minute delay. As per Flightradar24, the aircraft circled over the Strait of Dover several times before returning to Heathrow Airport. In another case, a Hyderabad-bound Lufthansa flight from Germany's Frankfurt airport was forced to return after it failed to get clearance for landing, following a bomb threat. The flight LH752, also a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, took off from Germany around 14:14 pm (local time) on Sunday and was scheduled to land at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in the early hours of Monday. Lufthansa issued a statement, saying, "Out of an abundance of caution, Lufthansa flight LH752 from Frankfurt to Hyderabad returned to its point of departure after authorities were made aware of a bomb threat posted on social media." 'The safety of our passengers and crew is Lufthansa's highest priority. Affected passengers were provided with accommodation in Frankfurt and will be continuing their journey to Hyderabad today,' it added. News agency PTI reported, citing airport sources in Hyderabad, and said, "A bomb threat email targeting Lufthansa flight LH 752 was received at the Hyderabad airport at 18:01 hrs on 15th June 2025." A committee for assessing the bomb threat was formed, and all due procedures were followed according to the standard operating procedure, they added. Meanwhile, a passenger aboard the Hyderabad-bound flight told PTI they were told that "Hyderabad hasn't given permission to land the flight there". 'It was a smooth flight and after about two hours in the air, we were told that we would be returning to Frankfurt,' the passenger said. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has been in the limelight in the past few days following the plane crash of Gatwick-bound Air India AI171 on Thursday, June 12. The aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into the hostel complex of BJ medical college within minutes of takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The tragedy claimed the lives of over 270 people, of whom 241 were aboard the Air India aircraft, and more than 20 others were those present on the ground. Only one passenger of the Boeing Dreamliner survived the plane crash.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Mid-air scare: Air India's Delhi-bound flight returns to Hong Kong; technical snag suspected
NEW DELHI: An Air India flight en route from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to return to its origin on Monday morning after the pilot suspected a technical issue mid-air. AI-315 had departed from Hong Kong and was en route to Delhi when the crew detected a possible technical snag. As a precautionary measure, the aircraft returned to Hong Kong to ensure passenger safety. Air India has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Time of India
Chinese national arrested for thefts in flights on long routes, three others detained
New Delhi: A Chinese national was arrested for organised and three other Chinese nationals were detained for questioning. Police investigations revealed that the arrested individual was part of a group targeting in which they stole cash, electronics, credit cards, etc., Tired of too many ads? go ad free now from the unsupervised luggage of sleeping passengers. Their strategy exploited long-duration, high-traffic international flights, making it harder to notice the thefts. The accused, Benlai Pan, 30, a resident of Hong Kong, was apprehended after Air India's security and vigilance team alerted Delhi Police on May 14 about suspicious activity on the airline's flight AI-315 from Hong Kong to New Delhi. Passengers had complained about theft during the flight. Police teams met Air India staff and passengers at Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal 3 arrival hall. Passenger Prabhat Verma told the cops that the cabin crew warned him of suspicious movements near his overhead baggage. Upon inspection, he discovered his credit card was missing and noticed a suspicious individual, later identified as Benlai, sitting in a seat not assigned to him. The missing card was found nearby. Another passenger, Prashi, too found her mother's debit card missing. Another vigilant passenger provided video footage showing Benlai opening cabin baggage items and inspecting the contents. Benlai was accompanied by three other Chinese nationals — Meng Guangyang, 51, Chang Mang, 42, and Liu Jie, 45. The authorities are liaising with the embassies concerned to verify their backgrounds and determine whether they were involved in similar crimes worldwide. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now During interrogation, Benlai confessed to being part of a sophisticated syndicate targeting transit flights. The group's strategy involved booking long transit flights to access unsupervised cabin luggage over extended periods. They sat in different section of the aircraft avoid being identified as a coordinated group, thus minimising the risk of being noticed. Their primary tactic was to target sleeping passengers, carefully opening bags to steal high-value items like cash, electronics and credit cards. When cards were stolen, the group used them and immediately discarded them to make detection harder. The syndicate specifically targeted high-traffic international routes, exploiting long-duration flights where passengers were fatigued and less vigilant. This allowed them to carry out thefts with relative ease, moving unnoticed in crowded cabins. A credit card, several bags, wallets and electronics were recovered from the men and they are under further scrutiny. Usha Rangnani, additional CP (IGI), said, "Benlai has been arrested, while the involvement of his three associates are being investigated. Travel data over the past 12 months is being analysed to connect the group with similar unsolved in-flight thefts." Alerts have been issued to immigration and airport authorities across the country and global enforcement agencies have been contacted to determine whether this group is a part of a larger .
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Indian Express
Chinese national arrested at Delhi airport for ‘stealing credit cards of passengers'
A Chinese man was arrested at Delhi's IGI Airport on Wednesday for allegedly stealing debit and credit cards from passengers during an international flight. Three of his associates, all Chinese nationals, were also detained, the police said. The accused were identified as Benlai Pan, 30, and his associates Meng Guangyang, 51, Chang Mang, 42, and Liu Jie, 45. The arrest came after the police received a tip-off from the Security and Vigilance team of Air India after suspicious activity was reported on board its flight AI-315 from Hong Kong to New Delhi. Officers said passenger Prabhat Verma, seated at 12C, was alerted by the cabin crew to unusual movement around his overhead baggage, following which he discovered his Bank of America credit card missing. It was later found under seat 14C. The seat was occupied by Benlai Pan, who was not assigned there but had a ticket for seat 23C, officers said. Another passenger, Prashi, seated at 14A, reported that her mother's HDFC debit card was missing. A third passenger, Nafeez Fatima, provided a video capturing Pan opening cabin baggage and inspecting personal belongings, the police said. Pan and his associates were questioned. Meanwhile, a police team coordinated with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and airline security, analysed surveillance footage, secured cabin crew statements, and examined digital evidence. Immigration records and past travel data of the accused are being reviewed. 'During interrogation, Pan confessed that he and his accomplices were part of a coordinated syndicate operating on international transit flights. Their tactics included booking transit flights with longer durations to maximise access to unsupervised cabin luggage,' said Usha Rangnani, Additional Commissioner of Police, IGI Airport. 'They would spread group members across different seats to avoid detection as a coordinated unit. They would target sleeping passengers, carefully open their bags, and extract high-value items and cards. They would then discard the cards after attempting misuse, making detection harder. The group deliberately used flights between high-traffic international routes, exploiting long-duration flights and cabin fatigue,' the ACP added. The police have so far recovered a Bank of America credit card found at seat 14C, along with several bags, wallets, and electronic items currently under investigation. Benlai Pan has been arrested, while further inquiry continues against his three companions, the police said. Authorities are examining travel records from the past year to trace connections to other unresolved cases. Alerts have been issued across airports in India, and international enforcement agencies have been contacted to explore the possibility of a broader theft syndicate.
