The flight was scheduled to reach Kathmandu at 4:30 pm. – File photo
Air India flight AI219 from Delhi to Kathmandu returned to Delhi on Saturday after a suspected technical fault.
According to an official at Kathmandu Airport, the flight was about to enter Nepali airspace when the pilot reported a technical problem.
The flight was diverted towards Delhi over Lucknow. It is not yet clear what the technical fault was.
After returning to Delhi, all 150 passengers were sent to Kathmandu on another flight.
The aircraft was an Airbus A320-214 model. It had taken off from New Delhi for Kathmandu at 2:42 pm.
The flight was scheduled to arrive in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, at 4:30 pm. Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal has not yet issued a statement on the flight’s diversion.
Previous incidents of technical problems on flights
13 September: An Air India flight travelling from Bhopal to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur and made an emergency landing after developing a technical problem.
6 September: A Virgin Atlantic flight travelling from Bengaluru to London developed a technical problem soon after take-off and was safely landed back in Bengaluru.
3 September: An Air India Express flight travelling from Varanasi to Delhi was diverted to Lucknow and landed after a smoke alarm went off in the cargo hold.
27 May: An Air India flight travelling from Delhi to San Francisco was turned back to Delhi and landed after developing a technical fault while in the air.
Airlines provide facilities to passengers in case of technical problems
If a flight is delayed by 2 to 4 hours due to a technical problem, the airline must provide passengers with free breakfast, meals and water. If the delay continues overnight or stretches beyond 24 hours, the company is also responsible for arranging free hotel accommodation and transport for passengers.
In addition, the airline must provide an accurate update on the flight every half hour. If you wish, you can cancel your journey and receive a full refund, or choose another flight without paying any additional charges.
