An Air India flight bound for New Delhi was forced to return to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff on Monday due to what the airline called a “technical issue” — the second serious incident involving one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners in less than a week.
CBS News reported that Flight AI315 departed as scheduled from Hong Kong but turned around midair after pilots reported a mechanical concern. The aircraft landed safely at approximately 1 p.m. local time and was undergoing checks “as a matter of abundant precaution,” Air India said in a statement.
The incident follows Thursday’s catastrophic crash of Flight AI171, also a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which slammed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, India, just minutes after takeoff. That crash claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew, along with at least 29 people on the ground. One British passenger survived.
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The timing and aircraft model overlap has raised eyebrows. Both flights were 787 Dreamliners, and both events occurred within days of each other. While no injuries were reported in Monday’s turnback, the proximity to Thursday’s tragedy has heightened public scrutiny.
In response to the crash, Indian aviation authorities ordered Air India to conduct enhanced safety checks on all 787 aircraft in its fleet. Despite that, no orders have been issued to ground the aircraft.
Boeing has not released a statement regarding the Hong Kong incident but is reportedly assisting with the ongoing investigation into the Ahmedabad crash.
Air India has arranged alternative travel for the affected Hong Kong passengers.
More than 360 Boeing 787-8 aircraft are currently in service worldwide. American Airlines operates the largest number of them. The model is prized for its fuel efficiency but has had a complicated safety history.
While Monday’s incident ended without injury, two serious events involving the same aircraft type in under a week have reignited questions about reliability and whether more stringent oversight is now overdue.
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Second Air India 787 Incident in 4 Days Sparks Fresh Safety Concerns first appeared on Men’s Journal on Jun 16, 2025
