Latest news with #flightdiversion
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
'Heartbreaking moment': Saudia plane diverted to Cairo after crew member dies onboard
A tragedy unfolded in the skies on Thursday aboard a Saudia flight departing from Jeddah, when a crew member suffered a sudden medical emergency that resulted in his death. Saudia flight SV119, en route to London, was diverted to Cairo following the onboard medical emergency. Sadly, the cabin manager, Mohsen bin Saeed Alzahrani, was pronounced dead upon arrival. The Saudi carrier took to X to mourn its staff member saying: "Despite the immediate and valiant efforts of fellow crew members and medically licensed individuals onboard, he was pronounced deceased upon the aircraft's arrival at Cairo International Airport." Describing the event as "a heartbreaking moment in which we lost one of our most dedicated team members", it went on to say that Alzahrani was "a shining example of commitment and discipline, admired by his peers for his integrity, professionalism, and high moral character". Saudia extended its condolences to his family and fellow team members, stressing that it is committed to providing all the necessary support to his family and everyone affected by his loss. Commending on the flight crew's "remarkable courage and professionalism in managing the situation and ensuring the continuation of the journey under exceptional circumstances", the airline also thanked the travellers for their understanding and cooperation during this ordeal. Sudden deaths mid-flight often result in flight diversions and emergency landings. In October 2024, a Turkish Airlines pilot died after collapsing mid-flight, forcing the Turkish national carrier to make an emergency landing in New York. In another incident, a flydubai flight from Dubai to Dhaka was diverted to Karachi in February 2023, after a passenger passed away during the journey.
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Bloomberg
Qantas Jet Takes 15-Hour Flight to Nowhere Due to Mideast Crisis
Passengers aboard a Paris-bound Qantas Airways Ltd. flight spent more than 15 hours in the air only to find themselves back where they started from in Australia after an Iranian missile attack shut down swathes of Middle East airspace. The Boeing Co. 787 jet departed Perth for the usual 17-hour haul to Paris at 7.35 p.m. local time Monday. It made it as far as the south-west fringes of Indian airspace when the airline was told about the missile attack, forcing it to turn around. The plane landed safely back in the Western Australian capital around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
UK flight heading to Doha forced to turn back after Iran's missile strike at Qatar
A FLIGHT bound for Doha has been diverted back to the UK after Iran launched a missile strike against a US airbase in Qatar. Qatar Airways flight QR28 had reached as far as the western Turkish coastline at around 5.56pm UK time when it dramatically made a U-turn, taking it back to Manchester Airport. The airline announced at 7.30pm that it had temporarily grounded all flights after Qatar closed its airspace. Qatar Airways wrote on X: "As a result of the closure of air traffic movement in the State of Qatar, we can confirm the temporary suspension of Qatar Airways flights. "We are working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support any passengers that have been impacted, and will resume operations when the airspace reopens. "The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority." QR28 is not the only Qatar Airways flight from the UK to be affected, with another flight - QR4 from London Heathrow to Doha - also being diverted back to the capital. The jet made it far over the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Greece, before it turned around heading back to London, according to aircraft tracker FlightRadar24. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Bomb threat panic on Air India flight from UK as jet forced to divert in latest air drama 11 days after Ahmedabad crash
AN AIR India flight en route from Birmingham to Delhi was forced to divert to Riyadh following a worrying bomb threat, airline officials said. The threat came after the horror Air India disaster in Ahmedabad earlier this month, which killed all but one passengers and crew. 3 3 In the latest blunder for the airline, Air India Flight AI114 was forced to land in Saudi Arabia 's capital after a shocking threat was received mid-air. The jet had departed at 8:26pm on June 21 from Birmingham Airport. But passengers were left confused when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane diverted from its original destination. The aircraft went on to land safely, and all those on board underwent standard security checks on Saturday. A spokesperson for the airliner confirmed to local media on Sunday that precautionary procedures were followed, and the situation was handled swiftly and securely. They said: "Flight AI114 from Birmingham to Delhi on June 21 received a bomb threat and was consequently diverted to Riyadh, where where it landed safely and completed security checks." No explosive material was found on board the jet after its inspection. And all passengers on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were provided with hotel accommodation. This incident comes amid a recent string of chilling Air India issues, marked by a series of flight cancellations and disruptions since the deadly crash in Ahmedadbad on June 12. Just hours after the deadly smash, another Air India flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Thailand after a bomb threat. At least eight killed in horror hot air balloon crash in Brazil 'after aircraft caught fire and plummeted to the ground' Flight AI379 was travelling from Phuket to India's capital New Delhi - before it suddenly landed again after an explosion warning, according to authorities. The latest bomb threat comes as Air India continues to be hit with criticism for "repeated violations" - after three officials were sacked over "systemic failures" following the tragic crash. Cracks within the airline have started to show after flight AI171 smashed into a doctors' hostel and exploded into a huge fireball. Investigators are continuing their probe into what caused the airline's London-bound plane to plunge to the ground moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Air India said last Thursday that the doomed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was "well-maintained" and that the pilots were accomplished flyers. The airline's chief N Chandrasekaran also hit back at 'speculation' on what caused the London-bound flight to crash a minute after take-off. And it was revealed that the black box recovered from the flight could be sent to the US for analysis after being rescued from a blazing 1,000 degree inferno. The Indian government has the final say on who probes the device, but reports say the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. is being considered for the analysis. A team of Indian investigators is expected to accompany the device to ensure all protocols are followed during the advanced data extraction. Investigators warned last Tuesday that the recovered black boxes may have melted due to the intense heat of the raging explosion. 52 Brits died on board the flight, but London local Vishwash Kumar Ramesh managed to cheat death when he escaped the blazing inferno following the crash. Theories have swirled over how the sole survivor managed to narrowly escape death when he was sat in seat 11A during the horror smash. Leading theories on Air India Flight AI171 THESE are some of the leading theories explaining the tragic Air India disaster which killed at least 270 people. Emergency power system: A small turbine generator was seen deploying as the Boeing 787 went down, experts said. Footage showed a "protrusion on the belly of the aircraft" with a "little grey dot" beneath it. Commentators say this was a system called Ram Air Turbine (RAT) poking out from the fuselage of the plane. Bird Strikes: A bird strike could have taken out both of the jet's giant General Electric engines. While a bird taking down something the size of a commercial airliner might sound fanciful, there are numerous examples. Wing flap position: Aviation experts have suggested the position of the aircraft's wing flaps could have played a role in the disaster. Video evidence suggests the flaps were either fully retracted or on a very minimal setting, which would have provided very little lift. The flaps provide crucial extra lift at low speeds during take-offs and landings. Pilot error: The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 is highly automated, with human pilots making only key decisions - but human error cannot be ruled out. Co-pilot Clive Kundar had more than 3,400 hours of flying experience and made the mayday call but Captain Sumeet Sabharwa at the helm had 11,500 hours - making him one of Air India's most experienced pilots. Heat: Planes get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, and therefore they need to go faster to get as much lift as on a cooler day. This is particularly important when an airliner is heavy with fuel, passengers and baggage, as the Air India flight was. Technical error: Catastrophic technical or engineering issues have not been ruled out. The jet's complex design mean it could take months for a design or engineering fault to be pinpointed.
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Flight issues ‘mayday' call after almost running out of fuel during diversion in India
The pilot of an Indian passenger jet was forced to issue a 'mayday' call after almost running out of fuel, according to Indian media reports. IndiGo flight 6764 left Guwahati in the northeastern state of Assam at 4.40pm on Thursday and was heading for Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu in southern India, where it was due to arrive at 7.45pm. The plane failed to land at Chennai, however, and was instead sent to Bengaluru in the neighbouring southern state of Karnataka, 300km away from its intended destination, where it landed at 8.15pm. All 168 passengers were deboarded safely, with no injuries reported. Accounts of the reason for the diversion differed, with news channel NDTV quoting an IndiGo spokesperson as saying it was due to 'bad weather'. 'The flight was scheduled to arrive in Chennai at about 7.45pm, but due to bad weather in Chennai, it could not land. The pilot opted to divert the flight to Bengaluru, but realised they ran out of fuel. So, he alerted the airport with a mayday call," the spokesperson was quoted as saying. The Indian Express reported that the pilot was denied landing at Chennai International airport because of air traffic congestion, which led the pilot to divert the aircraft to Bengaluru. 'Since the flight did not receive clearance to land at Chennai due to congestion and was flying at low fuel, the pilot announced a fuel mayday as per the protocol, and the aircraft was diverted to Bengaluru. The Bengaluru Air Traffic Control (ATC) gave a priority landing, and the flight landed safely at 8.15pm,' a source from IndiGo told the newspaper. 'Contrary to some reports, the pilot did not announce a mayday, instead a fuel mayday, which is different. Post landing, passengers were deboarded without reported injuries and were given refreshments at the airport, as per protocol.' According to a report by the Times of India, the pilot attempted a 'go around' after the landing gear touched the runway, and made the 'mayday call' when it was around 56km from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International airport. Citing a source, the newspaper reported that the aircraft appeared to have an 'unstabilised approach'. Several sources at the ATC confirmed to the Times of India that the pilot did not attempt a second approach at Chennai and flew to Bengaluru. The Independent has reached out to IndiGo for comment. The aircraft was refuelled at Bengaluru and finally took off with a new crew and all passengers at around 10.24pm, since the crew's flight duty time had lapsed by then. The passengers finally arrived in Chennai at 11pm. India's aviation sector has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks amid a series of safety and operational incidents that have raised serious concerns. Earlier this month a London-bound Air India flight crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. Days later, the airline was issued a stern warning by India's aviation safety watchdog over breaches of pilot duty‑time regulations during long‑haul flights. On Friday, passengers from two Air India Express flights landed in Patna to find that their baggage had not arrived. Recently, an IndiGo flight arriving in Raipur from New Delhi was delayed on the tarmac after a door malfunction left passengers trapped onboard for nearly 40 minutes. According to data shared by India's civil aviation ministry, private airlines in India reported 268 instances involving technical issues with aircraft over the 13 months leading up to January 2025. IndiGo – India's largest airline by market share – accounted for 118 of these incidents, while Air India reported 66.
