BENGALURU – An Air India Boeing 777 flight from Delhi to Mumbai was forced to turn back on December 22 after pilots observed a critical drop in engine oil pressure, prompting them to shut down one engine and land safely in Delhi as per standard emergency procedures.
The incident occurred shortly after take-off when the crew detected abnormally low oil pressure in the aircraft’s right-hand engine, which soon dropped to zero. The pilots followed protocol, shut down the affected engine, and safely returned to Delhi, with all 335 passengers and crew disembarking unharmed.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a thorough investigation into the incident, and Air India is conducting mandatory checks on the aircraft. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience and confirmed that affected passengers were accommodated on subsequent flights.
This event comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India’s safety standards, following the tragic June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner and multiple regulatory findings of systemic failures in compliance. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about aviation safety in India as the airline works to address past lapses.