Two AirAsia A320 Aircraft From Delhi to Srinagar Returns to Delhi After Technical Snag Mid-Air

On June 11, two AirAsia India A320 aircraft en route from Delhi to Srinagar returned to Delhi in less than six hours after experiencing a technical issue in the air. According to a passenger on the flight, the Delhi-Srinagar flight I5-712 took off from the Delhi airport at around 11.55 a.m. on an A320 aircraft with the registration number VT-APJ. According to the passenger, after the jet had been in the air for roughly half an hour, the captain declared that the plane (VT-APJ) had hit a technical issue. According to the passenger, the VT-APJ aircraft arrived at Delhi airport safely at around 1:45 p.m. with all passengers on board. According to the passenger, the airline arranged for another A320 aircraft with the registration number VT-RED to execute the I5-712 flight so that the stranded passengers could be transported to Srinagar. The pilot informed that this aircraft (VT-RED) had suffered a technical glitch and would have to return to the Delhi airport shortly after the second plane took off, according to the passenger. At roughly 5:30 p.m., the VT-RED aircraft successfully returned to Delhi airport with the passengers. The airline then told the passengers that they can either cancel their flight and get a refund, or they can book another flight within the next 30 days, the passenger stated. When asked about this incident, an AirAsia India spokesperson said, “AirAsia India confirms that flight from Delhi to Srinagar had to return to Delhi on account of a technical snag. The aircraft is being operated after rectification of the snag to recover continuity of operations to and from Srinagar.” “We regret the inconvenience and disruption to the travel plans of our guests and reaffirm our commitment to safety in all our operations,” the spokesperson noted. Airbus, which manufactures A320 aircraft, did not respond to PTI’s request for a statement on this matter.