In yet another incident raising questions over Air India’s operational safety, a San Francisco–Mumbai flight via Kolkata was forced to deboard all passengers early Tuesday after a technical fault was detected in the aircraft’s left engine.
Flight AI180 had landed in Kolkata at 12:45 am as per schedule, but before it could proceed to Mumbai, ground engineers flagged a glitch in the left engine, prompting an extended delay. According to reports, after nearly five hours of waiting on the tarmac, passengers were finally asked to deplane at around 5:20 am. The pilot addressed the cabin, citing flight safety as the primary concern behind the decision.
Visuals from the airport showed ground staff conducting inspections around the left engine of the aircraft, which remained stationed at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.
The incident has added to growing unease over Air India’s technical preparedness and fleet maintenance standards. It comes just five days after a catastrophic crash involving Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport. That aircraft lost control seconds after takeoff and collided with the BJ Medical College hostel building, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The lone survivor was identified as British national Vishwas Kumar Ramesh.
The recent string of mishaps has prompted aviation analysts and regulatory authorities to take a closer look at Air India’s maintenance practices, especially after its recent fleet expansions and international route additions under the Tata Group’s ownership. Passengers, meanwhile, continue to express concern over safety, punctuality, and transparency — three critical aspects that are now in sharper focus than ever.
