A Delhi-Bhubaneswar Air India Express flight was forced to divert mid-air and land in Jaipur on Wednesday morning due to a technical snag, according to sources at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA). The flight, which departed from Delhi at 6:30 AM with nearly 180 passengers and eight crew members, was scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar at 8:35 AM.
Technical Snag and Diversion
Following the sudden mid-air technical issue, the pilots initially attempted to return to Delhi. However, due to inclement weather conditions, the flight was diverted to Jaipur, where it landed safely. The airline has not disclosed the nature of the snag, but sources indicated that since the Ahmedabad air crash last year, Air India has adopted an extremely cautious approach, even for minor technical doubts. An officer at Bhubaneswar airport commented, "In the Jaipur diversion, this appears to be the case."
Flight Path and Delay
As the flight had covered only a short distance when the snag was detected, the crew decided to head back to Delhi. However, adverse weather conditions at IGI Airport prevented a safe landing. Consequently, the flight was diverted to Jaipur, landing safely there. The flight eventually reached Bhubaneswar at 2:04 PM, resulting in a delay of approximately five and a half hours. The official added, "The pilots, instead of waiting for the weather to clear in Delhi, diverted the flight to Jaipur airport."
Another Incident: Port Blair-Kolkata Flight Diverted
In a separate incident, an Air India Express flight from Port Blair to Kolkata was diverted to Bhubaneswar due to bad weather in Kolkata. The flight was diverted mid-air at 11:19 AM after covering just 11 minutes of travel time and landed in Bhubaneswar at 12:10 PM. The flight later proceeded to Kolkata once weather conditions improved.
