Air India Flight AI191, bound for Newark Liberty International Airport, successfully landed safely back at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai. An Air India spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating that the crew decided to turn back to Mumbai as a precautionary measure immediately after detecting a potential technical glitch.
Following the safe landing, the Boeing aircraft was promptly taken out of service for a thorough inspection and necessary checks by the engineering team.
Flight Cancellations and Passenger Assistance
The technical issue and subsequent grounding of the aircraft have led to major travel disruptions. Air India announced the cancellation of both the affected outbound flight, AI191 (Mumbai-Newark), and the corresponding inbound flight, AI144 (scheduled to operate from Newark to Mumbai).
The airline is taking steps to mitigate the inconvenience for the hundreds of passengers affected:
• Passengers stranded in Mumbai for AI191 have been provided with hotel accommodations and are being rebooked on alternative flights, utilizing services from both Air India and other carriers.
• Passengers scheduled to depart from Newark on the cancelled AI144 were also notified of the disruption and are being assisted with alternative travel arrangements at the earliest opportunity.
Air India has emphasized that the precautionary air-return was executed successfully, with all passengers and crew landing safely, prioritizing the security of everyone onboard. The airline is yet to release details on the specific nature of the suspected technical issue as the investigation is underway.