An Air India flight travelling from Bengaluru to London Heathrow Airport was diverted to Jeddah on Monday after a technical issue was reported mid-flight.
According to a report by PTI, the aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 dreamliner, had been in the air for more than six hours before the diversion was made. The decision was taken as a precautionary measure, the airline said.
In a statement, an Air India spokesperson said, "Air India Flight AI133, operating from Bengaluru (BLR) to London Heathrow (LHR) on 23 March, made a precautionary en route diversion to Jeddah following a suspected technical issue. The aircraft landed safely at Jeddah Airport at 1958 hrs IST, and all passengers and crew are confirmed safe."
The airline said the aircraft is currently undergoing detailed technical inspections in line with safety procedures. The number of passengers on board has not been confirmed.
The spokesperson also said that Air India is working closely with authorities at Jeddah Airport and local agencies to provide necessary assistance to passengers and crew members affected by the diversion.
Air India Announce 24 Flights To West Asia Region
Meanwhile, Air India announced that both Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 24 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on March 24.
As part of the scheduled services, both airlines will continue operations to and from Jeddah, with a total of 10 flights between India and the city. Air India will run one return flight each from Delhi and two return flights from Mumbai. Air India Express will operate one flight each from Hyderabad and Kozhikode.
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In addition, Air India Express will run four scheduled flights to and from Muscat, including services from Delhi and Mumbai.
Along with scheduled services, both airlines will also operate 10 additional non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates.
“These flights will depend on slot availability and other conditions at the time of departure and are being operated with approvals from relevant authorities,” a press release said.
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Under these additional services, flights will be operated to cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. However, no operations are planned for Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Al Ain.
Similarly, no flights are scheduled for Salalah, Riyadh, Dammam, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait City, and Tel Aviv for the day.
Air India stated that all its flights to and from North America, Europe, Australia, and other regions will continue to operate as per schedule.
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