An Air India Boeing 777 aircraft, operating a flight from Delhi to Mumbai, was forced to make a precautionary return to the Indira Gandhi International Airport shortly after take-off on Monday morning. The decision was taken by the pilots after they observed a critical drop in oil pressure in one of the plane's two engines.
Timeline of the Incident and Safe Landing
The wide-body aircraft, bearing registration VT-ALS and operating as flight AI-887, took off from Delhi at 6:31 am on December 22, 2025, after a delay of over three hours. Shortly after becoming airborne, the flight crew noticed a warning indicating low oil pressure in the right-hand engine. The pressure reportedly dropped to zero soon after.
Following established safety protocols, the pilots promptly shut down the affected engine. The twin-engine jet, carrying over 330 people on board, then safely landed back in Delhi around 20 minutes later, at approximately 6:51 am. All passengers and crew disembarked safely.
Regulatory Scrutiny and Immediate Aftermath
The incident has triggered immediate action from aviation authorities. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has taken note and directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct a "thorough investigation". The ministry has also sought a detailed report from Air India.
In a statement, the DGCA confirmed that the inspection and rectification of the aircraft is in progress. The regulator stated, "The incident would be investigated by the permanent investigation board of the airline under the supervision of Director Air Safety (Northern Region), DGCA." A DGCA source indicated that a preliminary review of the aircraft's maintenance records did not show any prior abnormality in oil consumption.
Air India, now owned by the Tata Group, arranged an alternative aircraft—another Boeing 777 registered as VT-ALP—to operate the disrupted flight. This aircraft departed Delhi at 10:25 am and landed in Mumbai at 12:14 pm.
Context and Heightened Safety Focus
While such "airturnbacks" or returns to origin shortly after departure due to technical snags are standard safety procedures and not extremely rare, this incident occurs against a backdrop of intensified regulatory scrutiny for Air India. The airline has been under the microscope since the tragic crash of one of its Boeing 787 aircraft in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, which resulted in 260 fatalities.
The aircraft involved in Monday's event, VT-ALS, is a 15-year-old plane that was part of Air India's fleet during its government ownership. It primarily operates long-haul international routes to Europe and North America and is only occasionally deployed on domestic sectors.
In its official statement, Air India said, "The crew operating flight AI887... decided to return to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue as per standard operating procedure. The aircraft landed safely... At Air India, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain top priority." The airline apologized for the inconvenience and stated that its ground team provided immediate assistance to passengers.
The MoCA reiterated the priority of passenger safety in a post on social media platform X, directing the airline to assist all affected travelers.
