HONG KONG, June 16 – An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (Flight AI315) bound for Delhi was forced to return to Hong Kong mid-flight on Monday following a suspected technical malfunction, aviation sources confirmed to India Today TV.
The aircraft departed Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) as scheduled but initiated an emergency return approximately 90 minutes into the flight after pilots detected an unspecified technical issue. Acting under standard safety protocols, the crew safely landed the Dreamliner back at HKIA. All passengers and crew evacuated safely with no reported injuries.
While the exact nature of the technical snag remains unconfirmed, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 verified the aircraft’s abrupt turnaround and return to Hong Kong. Air India has yet to issue an official statement regarding the aviation incident or flight rescheduling.
Fleet Context & Safety Spotlight:
This incident draws heightened attention as Air India operates India’s largest fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft (33 Dreamliners), alongside IndiGo. It follows last week’s catastrophic Ahmedabad plane crash involving another Air India 787-8 Dreamliner (Flight AI147), which crashed shortly after take off, killing 270 people including 5 medical students on the ground. The sole survivor, a British-Indian national, remains hospitalized.
Key Details:
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Aircraft Model: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
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Route: Hong Kong (HKG) → Delhi (DEL)
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Status: Safe landing at origin airport (HKG)
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Investigation: Pending technical evaluation by Air India and aviation authorities
Aviation safety experts emphasize that such precautionary returns demonstrate rigorous adherence to flight safety protocols, though scrutiny of the Dreamliner’s performance is expected given recent events. Updates on the technical investigation and passenger compensation are awaited.
