Air India’s Dubai–Delhi service faced an unexpected disruption after a technical issue forced the airline to cancel a late-night flight, leaving passengers stranded and prompting safety checks on the aircraft. The incident involved flight AI-196, operated using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and occurred just hours before its scheduled arrival in the national capital.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the decision to cancel the flight was taken after a fault was detected in a critical onboard system, underlining the airline’s adherence to safety protocols.
Technical Fault Detected Before Departure
Flight AI-196 was scheduled to depart from Dubai at 10:00 pm on February 2, 2026, with an expected landing in Delhi at 2:30 am the following day. During pre-departure checks, engineers reportedly identified a technical snag in the aircraft’s radar system.
Given the nature of the issue and its importance for flight navigation and safety, the aircraft was grounded. The flight was subsequently cancelled, and passengers were informed of the disruption before take-off. Sources indicated that no attempt was made to operate the flight until the issue could be thoroughly assessed and rectified.
The aircraft assigned to the route was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a wide-body jet commonly used by Air India for long-haul international operations. Following the detection of the radar malfunction, the aircraft was removed from active service for inspection.
Air India Grounds London–Bengaluru Flight
Air India announced on Monday that it had grounded one of its Boeing 787‑8 aircraft after detecting a possible defect in the fuel control switch during operations on the London–Bengaluru route. The issue has revived memories of the June 12 crash of Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London, which claimed 260 lives. Investigators of that tragedy had pointed to a similar technical fault.
Boeing, in a statement, confirmed that it is assisting Air India in reviewing the matter.
The latest incident took place on Flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru. According to a press release issued by the Safety Matters Foundation and shared widely on social media, the crew reported irregular behaviour in the left engine’s fuel control switch on the aircraft registered as VT‑ANX.