A Chennai-bound Air India flight was forced to make an emergency return to Mumbai on Saturday morning after passengers and crew detected a burning smell in the cabin, sparking fresh concerns about aviation safety.
Flight AI 639, which departed from Mumbai on June 27, had to initiate a precautionary air turn-back shortly after take-off, the airline confirmed in a statement. The Airbus aircraft landed safely back at Mumbai airport, and no injuries were reported.
Air India stated that an alternative aircraft was swiftly arranged to ensure that passengers could continue their journey to Chennai with minimal disruption. “Our ground teams in Mumbai extended full support to minimise the inconvenience caused by this unforeseen disruption,” the airline said.
While the exact source of the burning smell remains undisclosed, the airline assured that all necessary safety protocols were followed and that the well-being of passengers was a top priority.
This incident adds to a series of recent operational challenges faced by the national carrier.
On Friday, a separate Air India aircraft was subject to a security scare after receiving a non-specific alert. The aircraft was thoroughly inspected as per established security guidelines and was subsequently cleared for its next flight.
In another incident on the same day, an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Jammu had to return mid-air due to a technical fault. The flight, which took off at 11:04 am following a 20-minute delay, turned back to Delhi instead of continuing its journey to Jammu, where it was scheduled to arrive by 12:05 pm.
These consecutive disruptions follow the tragic crash of Air India’s AI-171 flight on June 12. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off, claiming the lives of all 270 people on board, including 241 passengers and crew, as well as 29 individuals on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is currently investigating the cause of the crash, which has prompted widespread concern about the airline’s safety practices.
With mounting scrutiny, aviation regulators and safety experts are calling for a comprehensive review of Air India’s operational protocols to restore public confidence.