Air India Express flight from Abu Dhabi to Kerala returns after engine flameout
An Air India Express flight from Abu Dhabi to India was forced to return to the UAE airport after one of the engines experienced a flameout on Friday.
The Boeing 737-800 operating between Abu Dhabi and Kozhikode, in the Indian state of Kerala, was involved in an “Airturnback due to the No.1 engine flameout at 1,000 ft during the climb,” India’s aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, was quoted as saying by ANI.
The flight landed safely with all 184 passengers. The airline said a “technical snag” had led to the turnback, according to a Hindustan Times report.
“This event has been reported to the regulatory authorities as per protocol, and alternate arrangements are being made for the guests. We regret the inconvenience caused to our guests on board,” the same report added quoting the airline.
The aircraft flew for about 45 minutes before it touched down again.
The latest incident comes weeks after an Air India Express flight from the south Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram returned to Oman’s Muscat after takeoff due to a technical glitch in its onboard computer system.
Last year, an Air India Express plane was evacuated on the runway in Muscat International Airport after smoke started billowing out of it. The smoke was apparently caused by an engine fire, AFP reported at the time.
Budget carrier Air India Express is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India. The carrier operates numerous flights to the Gulf.
The airline was previously run by the Indian government but is now operated by the Tata group.
