An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad to Phuket was forced to return shortly after take-off on Saturday due to a technical snag, airport officials said. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, operating as flight IX 110, safely landed back at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 6.57 AM with 98 passengers on board.
The flight had taken off at 6.40 AM but experienced a technical issue mid-air, prompting the crew to return as a precautionary measure. “One of our flights returned to Hyderabad shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. The crew elected to return out of an abundance of caution,” an Air India Express spokesperson said in a statement.
Passengers were provided with refreshments during the delay. The airline arranged for an alternative aircraft, and the rescheduled flight departed at 1.26 PM for its original destination, Phuket.
“We regret the inconvenience caused and reiterate that safety remains our top priority in every aspect of our operations,” the spokesperson added.
The incident was monitored via flight tracking service Flightradar24, which confirmed the aircraft’s early return and subsequent re-departure.
