Before landing, the aircraft remained airborne for close to an hour to carry out fuel jettison procedures in accordance with standard operating procedures | Photo Credit: Bloomberg

An Air India flight operating from Delhi to San Francisco returned to the national capital on Wednesday after the crew detected a technical snag while approaching Chinese airspace, sources told businessline.

Accordingly, the 777 aircraft, carrying 230 passengers, had already been airborne for nearly three hours when the issue was identified.

Speaking to businessline, airline sources said the crew decided to return to Delhi as a precautionary measure in line with standard operating procedures.

The return journey to Delhi took another three-and-a-half hours approximately.

Before landing, the aircraft remained airborne for close to an hour to carry out fuel jettison procedures in accordance with standard operating procedures, taking the total airborne time to nearly eight hours.

Technical Snag

“The fuel jettison was carried out because a long-haul aircraft like the 777 departs at a very high take-off weight with large fuel reserves for an ultra long-haul destination like San Francisco,” airline sources told businessline.

On its part, the airline confirmed that the aircraft had returned to Delhi following a technical issue.

“Flight AI173 from Delhi to San Francisco on 27 May has returned to Delhi due to a technical issue in accordance with the laid down procedures. The aircraft landed safely and will undergo technical inspection in line with Air India’s safety standards,” an Air India spokesperson said.

Alternative Plans

According to the spokesman, alternative arrangements were being made to fly passengers to their destination.

“We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers and are making alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination as soon as possible. In the meantime, our ground teams are providing all necessary assistance to the passengers, including refreshments, hotel accommodation or rescheduling as opted by them,” the spokesperson said.

“The safety and well-being of passengers and crew remain Air India’s highest priority,” the spokesperson added.

Published on May 27, 2026