Kochi, September 7 (Daily Kiran) : An Air India Express flight heading to Abu Dhabi made an unscheduled return to Kochi on Monday after a technical issue was detected. The airline confirmed that the return was in line with safety protocols following a warning about engine oil pressure.
The Boeing 737, designated IX-415, had taken off from Kochi International Airport and was approximately 50 minutes into the flight at an altitude of 36,000 feet when the crew noticed a significant drop in oil levels in Engine 1.
A spokesperson for Air India Express stated that this was not the first incident of its kind, mentioning a similar situation involving a flight from Kochi to Abu Dhabi about a week earlier. They emphasized that presenting such incidents without context could lead to unnecessary concern among passengers and the public.
To assess the situation, the pilots employed a structured decision-making process known as FORDEC (Facts, Options, Risks and Benefits, Decision, Execution, and Check), which is commonly used in aviation. Given the continuous decline in oil levels, the crew decided to return to Kochi.
After about 45 minutes of monitoring, the oil pressure in Engine 1 became unstable, with cockpit warnings indicating a severe drop in pressure. Despite this, the crew maintained control and successfully landed the aircraft without incident.
The flight landed safely at Kochi International Airport, and no passengers or crew members were harmed. Subsequently, passengers were accommodated on an alternative flight to complete their journey to Abu Dhabi.
In recent months, Air India Express has faced scrutiny over safety issues, including an incident in August when a flight from Dammam to Delhi was diverted to Ahmedabad due to a bomb threat found in the aircraft’s restroom. In that case, all passengers were safely evacuated, and necessary security checks were conducted.
The airline reiterated its commitment to passenger safety, asserting that it strictly adheres to established safety standards in response to any technical alerts or potential risks.
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