Technical Fault Grounds Air India San Francisco-Mumbai Flight in Kolkata Amid Safety Concerns
A technical issue with the left engine of an Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai, which made a scheduled stop in Kolkata, led to all passengers being deboarded early Tuesday. This event has sparked further concerns about the airline's operational safety standards.
The aircraft, designated as Flight AI180, successfully landed in Kolkata at 12:45 am. However, plans to proceed to Mumbai were halted when ground engineers discovered a defect in the left engine. This discovery led to a significant delay, and after approximately five hours on the tarmac, passengers were instructed to leave the aircraft at around 5:20 am. The pilot communicated to passengers that the decision was driven by concerns for flight safety.
Images from the scene at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport showed ground personnel examining the problematic engine, with the aircraft remaining stationed at the airport.
This incident intensifies concerns regarding Air India's technical readiness and maintenance protocols. It follows closely on the heels of a tragic accident involving Air India flight AI-171, which crashed just after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London’s Gatwick Airport. The crash resulted in 241 fatalities out of 242 passengers on board, with only British national Vishwas Kumar Ramesh surviving.
The recent sequence of accidents has prompted aviation experts and regulatory bodies to scrutinize Air India's maintenance processes, particularly in light of its fleet expansion and new international routes under the Tata Group management. Passengers have voiced increasing concerns over the airline's safety, efficiency, and transparency, issues that are now more critical than ever.
