Hyderabad: A Delhi-bound Air India aircraft developed a technical snag about 20 minutes after take off and returned to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday.
“The pilot announced that there was some problem with the aircraft. All of us were scared. After landing at RGIA, we were asked to get down. It was only after we went back into the terminal that we came to know that there was a problem with one of the engines,” said advocate S. Raghavender Goud, who was on the aircraft.
Commotion prevailed at the airport with passengers demanding that they be accommodated on alternative flights to Delhi. Two Army doctors who had to take a connecting flight to Srinagar booked their tickets on another airline and flew out.
“There was a lot of confusion. The flight had taken off 20 minutes late, and returned midway. We are a group of students and have an examination on Monday. At about 11 am, the Air India staff arranged another aircraft with the same flight number AI-559,” said Mr Hitesh Kumar of BML Munjal University, Gurgaon.
Mr Raghavender Goud and with another lawyer, Mr Ch Madhu, said they were going to attend a meeting scheduled for Sunday evening in Delhi in connection with the Telangana state advocates dharna at Jantar Mantar on Monday.
Air India staff said the aircraft returned to RGIA since passenger safety is paramount but did not give details of what had affected the aircraft. Passengers said an emergency team rushed to the air craft after it landed and fire engines were kept on alert.
