Prime Highlights:
- Air India AI 103 flight from Washington to Delhi was diverted in Vienna when a scheduled stopover showed that there was a technical snag.
- All passengers were safely evacuated; the Aayojan journey and return flight AI 104 were also cancelled.
Key Facts:
- Boeing Dreamliner was grounded for long maintenance after regular fuel stop.
- Passengers were rebooked or refunded, respectively, based on visa and itinerary.
Key Background
Air India’s AI 103 Delhi-Washington flight on July 2, 2025, was diverted from course after a routine fuel stopover in Vienna showed a technical hitch while conducting a routine check. The flight was a Boeing Dreamliner, and it was being serviced under normal procedure when the maintenance team picked up an anomaly that would take extensive servicing. As a precautionary measure, continuation of the flight to Washington, D.C. was put on hold.
In-flight passengers were off-loaded immediately at the Vienna airport. Eligible Schengen visa holders were provided accommodation in local hotels, and entry clearance-less passengers were taken care of by Air India staff and local immigration to provide them with comfort and safety within airport terminals. As per normal airline procedure, passengers were either rebooked on other flights or fully refunded, as per their convenience and travel entitlement.
The return journey AI 104 from Delhi to Washington was also cancelled after the Vienna disruption of the mutual return. The carrier justified such action as in line with its proactive management of operational integrity and passenger safety and alleged it was not an emergency but a precautionary maintenance operation.
This incident follows a series of operational safety issues that have dogged Air India. It follows last month’s incident in which a Dreamliner flight to Vienna suddenly lost 900 feet of altitude mere minutes after take-off from Delhi, triggering cockpit alerts. This came just days after the horrific crash of Air India flight AI 171 over Ahmedabad, which resulted in more than 260 fatalities. These successive incidents have drawn heightened regulatory scrutiny.
India’s civil aviation regulator, DGCA, reacted by ordering a comprehensive check of Air India’s Dreamliner fleet with particular attention to such equipment as fuel systems, engine controls, and air compressors. The Vienna grounding is reflective of the airline’s desperate struggle to ensure safety even at the expense of temporary disruption in a bid to restore confidence and guarantee reliability of operation in the future.
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