Amid enhanced checks, Air India passengers continue to suffer disruptions

Operational troubles continue to plague Air India and its subsidiary, Air India Express, as a series of technical glitches and a bird-hit incident disrupted flight services on Monday, leaving scores of passengers stranded and raising renewed concerns about the airline’s reliability.In the latest episode, a Dubai-bound Air India Express flight (IX-195) was forced to return from the taxiway at the Jaipur airport early Monday morning after a technical issue was detected.

The aircraft, which was scheduled to depart at 6.05 am, had completed boarding and begun taxiing when the pilots noticed the glitch and turned back to the parking bay. An engineering team was dispatched, and nearly 130 passengers remained seated on board.

“We regret the inconvenience caused by the cancellation of our Jaipur–Dubai flight today after a technical issue with the scheduled aircraft,” said an Air India Express spokesperson, adding that hotel accommodation, rescheduling and full refunds were offered to the affected guests.

Later in the day, another Air India Express flight (IX-2564) operating from Delhi to Srinagar via Jammu was forced to return to the national capital after a suspected GPS interference incident prevented the pilot from landing in Jammu.

After circling the airport for some time, the aircraft was diverted back to Delhi as a precaution. “An alternative flight was organised to connect guests to Jammu,” the airline said. Officials added that such GPS signal interference has been previously reported over certain sensitive regions.

In the third incident, a Thiruvananthapuram–Delhi Air India flight (AI-2455) was cancelled on Sunday, after the aircraft suffered a suspected bird-hit upon landing in Kerala.

Though the aircraft landed safely, extended engineering checks forced the cancellation of the return flight. The airline arranged alternative travel and offered refunds and rescheduling options.

The airline has stepped up maintenance and operational checks in the aftermath of horrific June 12 crash of its plane in Ahmedabad that claimed over 270 lives.

“Despite enhanced pre-flight safety checks and reduced flight schedules, external factors like congestion, weather and technical issues can lead to last-minute disruptions. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” stated the Tata-owned airline group.