On July 21, 2025, an Air India flight (AI2403) scheduled to travel from Delhi to Kolkata was forced to abort takeoff due to a technical snag. The Airbus A321, carrying 160 passengers, was accelerating down the runway when the cockpit crew detected an issue at around 155 km/h—close to the critical decision speed known as V₁. Responding swiftly, the pilots applied the brakes and safely brought the aircraft to a halt. All passengers were safely disembarked, and no injuries were reported. The aircraft was grounded for thorough safety inspections, and the flight was rescheduled for later that evening. This incident came on the same day as another Air India scare, where a Kochi-Mumbai flight skidded off the runway due to heavy rain. Despite recent scrutiny following a major crash in June, aviation experts and the airline have emphasized that the crew acted in full accordance with safety protocols, prioritizing passenger safety above all.
- An Air India flight (AI2403) from Delhi to Kolkata was forced to abort takeoff on Monday, July 21, 2025, due to a technical snag detected while the plane was accelerating down the runway at 155 km/hr.
- The incident occurred just before the aircraft’s scheduled departure at around 5:30 pm. The cockpit crew followed standard operating procedures and decided to discontinue the takeoff, according to a statement from Air India.
- All passengers were safely deboarded, and the flight was rescheduled for later that evening. Air India stated that passenger safety and wellbeing remain their top priority and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers due to the unforeseen disruption.
- This incident comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of Air India’s safety practices following a recent fatal crash of an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick airport on June 20, 2025. The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry disclosed that nine show cause notices were issued to Air India concerning five documented safety violations over the past six months.
