An Air India flight from Mumbai to Newark made a precautionary return to Mumbai on Tuesday after the crew reported a suspected technical issue mid-air, the airline confirmed. Flight AI191, which departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, landed safely, and all passengers were deplaned without incident.
According to Air India, the crew decided to turn the aircraft back to Mumbai after detecting a potential technical anomaly while en route to Newark. The airline stated that the return was a precautionary measure undertaken strictly in accordance with standard safety protocols.
“The aircraft landed safely, and necessary inspections are currently underway to ensure its airworthiness,” an Air India spokesperson said.
The airline added that both AI191 and its return leg, AI144 (Newark to Mumbai), were cancelled to allow for a detailed technical examination.
How Were Passengers Affected by the Cancellation?
Air India confirmed that all affected passengers at Mumbai were provided with hotel accommodations and rebooked on alternative Air India or partner airline flights to their destinations.
“Passengers scheduled on AI144 from Newark were also notified of the cancellation and are receiving assistance to arrange alternative travel as quickly as possible,” the airline said.
The spokesperson reiterated that “the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew remain Air India’s top priority”, noting that precautionary returns are “routine safety measures” designed to mitigate even minor risks.
What Else Happened at Air India This Week?
In a separate development, a flight safety auditor of Air India was found dead in a paying guest accommodation in Gurugram, Haryana, police confirmed on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Prafull Sawant, a Mumbai-based Air India employee, had been staying at Gaurav PG in Sector 30 for the past few days.
“The PG staff informed the police that Sawant had returned to his room after breakfast on Monday morning. He had sent the caretaker money for lunch via UPI. When the caretaker called to inquire about the lunch, Sawant did not answer the phone,” said a police officer.
After multiple unanswered calls, the caretaker went to Sawant’s room and found the door locked from inside. “On receiving information, a police team reached the spot and somehow managed to open the door of the room, where Sawant was found dead on the bed,” police added.
Is There Any Suspicion of Foul Play?
Police said that no suicide note was recovered from the room. “We have started examining CCTV footage from the surrounding area to gather more information about the incident and have also questioned other staff and residents of the PG,” a senior police officer confirmed.
The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem examination, and investigations are ongoing.
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