Air India Express Flight Returns to Guwahati After Technical Snag, Passengers Safe
An Air India Express flight returns to Guwahati due to a technical glitch; passengers are safe before completing the journey.
An Air India Express flight bound for Dibrugarh from Guwahati was forced to return to its departure airport after encountering a technical malfunction in its avionics system shortly before landing, according to airport officials. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, operating as flight IX-1186, had taken off from Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBI) at 12:20 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Dibrugarh Airport by 1:25 p.m. The prompt decision by the pilots to abort the approach and return ensured passenger safety, with no injuries reported among the roughly 180 travellers on board. This incident underscores ongoing concerns about aircraft maintenance in India's domestic aviation sector, where rapid fleet expansion has occasionally led to scrutiny over reliability.
Moments from touchdown at Dibrugarh, the crew detected an anomaly in the avionics linked to one of the aircraft's wings, prompting an immediate return to Guwahati for precautionary measures. Upon landing safely at LGBI around 1:45 p.m., the plane underwent a comprehensive inspection by Air India Express engineers, who identified and rectified the issue within hours. The flight subsequently departed Guwahati again at approximately 5:30 p.m., finally reaching Dibrugarh at 6:20 p.m.—nearly five hours behind schedule. Officials at both airports confirmed the resolution, emphasising that the snag posed no risk during the return leg. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been notified, as per standard protocol for such events, though no formal investigation details were immediately available.
Air India Express, a low-cost subsidiary of the Tata Group-owned Air India, has faced similar technical hiccups in recent months amid its integration post-2022 privatisation. The Boeing 737 Max 8 fleet, introduced to enhance efficiency on short-haul routes like the 500 km Guwahati-Dibrugarh corridor, has been pivotal for Northeast connectivity but has drawn criticism for past glitches, including a 2024 engine fault on a Delhi-Bengaluru run. Queries to the Air India Express spokesperson went unanswered at press time, leaving passengers—many of whom were local traders and students returning for Diwali—to voice frustrations on social media over the delay without official updates. The airline issued a general apology via its website, promising compensatory vouchers, but specifics on the avionics fault remain undisclosed pending regulatory review.
This safe diversion highlights the effectiveness of aviation safety protocols in India, where pilot training and quick ground response have prevented escalations in over 90% of reported snags this year, per DGCA data. However, it also reignites calls for bolstered maintenance regimes as air traffic surges 15% annually in the Northeast, driven by tourism and economic growth. For Air India Express, navigating such episodes is crucial to rebuilding trust in a market dominated by IndiGo, especially with the festive season amplifying demand. As the investigation progresses, the focus shifts to preventive measures, ensuring seamless skies for the region's vital lifelines.
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