A Delhi to Indore Air India flight returned shortly after take-off on Sunday (August 31) after the cockpit crew received a fire indication for the right engine. They shut down the engine and initially made a MAYDAY call to the air traffic control. However, they later changed it to PAN-PAN and returned to Delhi.
“Flight AI2913, operating from Delhi to Indore on 31 August, air-returned to Delhi shortly after take-off, as the cockpit crew received a fire indication for the right engine. Following standard procedure, the cockpit crew elected to shut down the engine and returned to Delhi where the flight landed safely,” an Air India spokesperson said, reported ANI.
“The crew had initially made a MAYDAY call to the air traffic control, but later downgraded it to PAN-PAN to indicate urgency rather than an emergency. We confirm that the flight did not make an emergency landing at Delhi,” the airline added.
Air India Ahmedabad accident
Air India has been on high-alert mode since the tragic accident in Ahmedabad when AI-171 crashed soon after take off leaving all but one passenger dead. Several students of a medical college also died in one of the most tragic incidents of the country’s aviation history. A total of 270 people had died in the incident, and their bodies had to be matched through DNA to their families as they were burnt severely.
This led to a probe and increased checks and balances across flights, especially in Air India. The airline witnessed several incidents of malfunction since the accident, but it said it was ensuring everything is working properly before the plane goes in the air.
Air India halts Delhi-Washington non-stop flights from September amid growing tech hurdles
Air India has suspended its services between Delhi and Washington, D.C. effective September 1, 2025, due to operational reasons to ensure the overall reliability and integrity of Air India’s network. The decision is mainly due to the planned shortage of Air India’s fleet as the airline started retrofitting 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft last month.
This massive retrofit programme to enhance customer experience will keep multiple aircraft out of service for a prolonged period till at least end of 2026. And with the airspace over Pakistan still closed, it impacts the long haul operations and makes the flight routings longer and more complex.
