An Air India flight bound for San Francisco returned to New Delhi on Wednesday morning after remaining airborne for more than eight hours due to a technical issue, according to airline officials and sources. The flight was carrying around 230 passengers at the time of the incident.

The airline confirmed that Flight AI173, operating from Delhi to San Francisco, was forced to return to its origin airport in line with established operational and safety procedures. Air India said the aircraft landed safely in Delhi and would undergo a detailed technical inspection in accordance with the airline’s safety protocols.

According to flight-tracking data available on Flightradar24, the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft had already been airborne for several hours before the crew initiated a return journey. The aircraft reportedly began diverting back toward Delhi after spending more than three hours in the air while flying through Chinese airspace. The total airborne duration exceeded eight hours before the plane landed safely in the national capital.

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Air India did not disclose the exact nature of the technical problem but emphasised that passenger safety remained its highest priority. The airline expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to travellers and said efforts were underway to minimise disruption to their journey plans. Officials stated that alternative arrangements were being made to transport passengers to San Francisco at the earliest possible opportunity.

Ground staff at Delhi airport were deployed to assist affected passengers following the flight’s return. The airline said passengers were being provided with refreshments, hotel accommodation where required, and options for rescheduling their travel based on individual preferences. The airline also stated that support teams remained available to address passenger concerns during the delay.

The incident comes amid increased global scrutiny of airline safety procedures and operational reliability, particularly on long-haul international routes. Aviation experts note that returning to the departure airport after detecting a technical issue is a standard precautionary measure designed to ensure passenger and crew safety, especially on ultra-long-haul flights operated by wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300 ER.

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