New Delhi, April 21 (PTI): A Guwahati-bound Air India aircraft, with 73 persons on board, had to return to the national capital and land at Indira Gandhi International airport here under emergency conditions today after the pilot detected a technical problem shortly after take-off.
The glitch forced the aircraft to return and make an emergency landing at the airport after around 30 minutes of flying.
“Air India flight (IC-8611) took off for Guwahati at 3pm from here. However, after 30 minutes of flying, the pilot suddenly got a false alarm and saw some indicators blinking because of a technical problem,” an airline official said.
Sixty-eight passengers and a five-member crew were on board the aircraft.
“The pilot decided to return and asked for a precautionary landing at the Delhi airport,” he said.
The aircraft, a Canadian Regional Jet (CRJ), landed safely at the IGI airport here around 3.45pm.
“All the passengers and crew members are safe, the Air India official added.
The airline authorities thereafter shifted the passengers to another Guwahati-bound plane, also a CRJ aircraft.
“The aircraft took off for its destination from the IGI airport at 4.20pm,” a spokesperson for Air India informed. The flight landed safely in Guwahati tonight.