London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aborts take-off due to technical issues

Air India flight bound to London was forced to abort takeoff after the aircraft faced technical issues. AI Flight AI2017 was scheduled to depart from Delhi to London on Thursday (31 July). However, it was brought to a halt after the cockpit crew decided to “discontinue the take-off run”.

The aircraft involved in the incident was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. After the take-off was aborted, the passengers were asked to disembark as precautionary checks were carried out.  Air India eventually provided the crew and the passengers with an alternative aircraft to complete the journey to London.

“Flight AI2017, operating from Delhi to London on 31 July, returned to the bay due to a suspected technical issue," an Air India spokesperson said after the incident. “The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the takeoff run following standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft back for precautionary checks. An alternative aircraft was deployed to fly the passengers to London," the airline company furthered.

The incident rings alarm bells of the past

What makes the matter concerning is the fact that the incident came just weeks after an Air India flight bound for London Gatwick struck a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad minutes after take-off, killing 241 people. Indian officials at that time confirmed that the pilot issued multiple distress calls before the Gatwick-bound flight crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12.

“Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” the preliminary report of the Indian AAIB said before the aircraft lost height and erupted in flames. There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens and one Canadian, according to Air India.

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Apart from the formal investigation, the Indian government has set up a high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The body will be focusing on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statment.

Meanwhile, Air India and the government are probing several aspects of the crash, including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. The authorities are yet to share the final report on the crash.