Delhi-Ranchi Air India Express Flight Returns Mid-Air Due To Technical Snag
Air India Express flight 9695 from Delhi to Ranchi returned due to technical issues after a Hong Kong-Delhi Air India flight (AI 315) turned back shortly after takeoff for similar reasons.
Air India Express flight 9695 on Monday departed from Delhi at 4:25 PM and was expected to land at Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi by 6:20 PM. However, the aircraft was diverted back to Delhi due to unspecified technical difficulties, airport authorities confirmed, as per news agency IANS.
"One of our flights returned to Delhi after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. Post inspections and clearance, the aircraft continued scheduled operations," IANS quoted an Air India Express spokesperson as stating.
Air India Aircraft Makes U-Turn to Hong Kong
In a separate case on Monday, Air India’s Hong Kong-Delhi service, AI 315, also reported a suspected technical snag. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which had taken off from Hong Kong at 12:16 PM local time—after a delay of nearly 3.5 hours—returned to its point of origin shortly after takeoff.
Air India confirmed the aircraft’s safe landing and said it was being inspected as a precaution. “AI315 operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 16 June 2025 returned to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue. The flight landed safely at Hong Kong and is undergoing checks as a matter of abundant precaution,” the airline said in a statement.
The carrier also assured passengers that arrangements were being made to transport them to Delhi as soon as possible. “We are providing all necessary on-ground assistance to the passengers to minimise the inconvenience caused by this unforeseen disruption,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Airport Authority Hong Kong said, “A passenger flight, AI315, operated by Air India from Hong Kong to New Delhi made a return to Hong Kong International Airport and requested local standby around 1 PM today (Monday). The flight landed safely around 1.15 PM. The airport operations were not affected.”
A “local standby” is a routine emergency measure used when a returning aircraft is expected to make a precautionary landing.
These back-to-back incidents come on the heels of a devastating crash on 12 June involving another Air India Dreamliner. The London-bound aircraft had taken off from Ahmedabad but went down within minutes, killing over 270 people, including 242 passengers and crew, after crashing into a medical college complex.
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