Mumbai: An Air India flight from Mumbai to Bhubaneswar with 155 passengers on board returned after being airborne for about 35 minutes when the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit on Monday.
A spokesperson for Mumbai International Airport Ltd told The Hindu that a full emergency was declared at 2.30 p.m. for AI 669, which got airborne at 2.14 p.m. for Bhubaneswar. “The aircraft has landed safely. The emergency has been withdrawn.”
Airline sources said the aircraft had been taken to a remote bay where Air India’s engineering staff would examine it. Efforts were on to accommodate the passengers on to another aircraft for their flight to Bhubaneswar.
An Air India spokesperson in a statement said, “AI 669 received the pushback clearance at 1.45 p.m. The flight got airborne around 2.15 p.m. and returned to Mumbai at 2.50 p.m. All 155 passengers are safe. Initially, the local authority declared an emergency. But it was later withdrawn. The flight is on ground. Another aircraft is ready and all the passengers will depart at 4.15 p.m.”
