Air India told to explain after Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner turns back to Hong Kong

Hong Kong aviation authorities have told Air India to submit a report after one of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners departing the city on Monday had to return when the pilot suspected a technical issue less than half an hour into the flight.

The Airport Authority said that passenger flight AI315 bound for New Delhi turned back to Hong Kong and requested a “local standby” at around 1pm, before landing safely at about 1.15pm.

The standby term refers to a situation where an aircraft approaching an airport is known or suspected to have developed a defect, but the issue does not pose a significant difficulty in making a safe landing.

Air India said the pilot suspected there was a technical issue and decided to take safety precautions and return to Hong Kong. “The flight landed safely at Hong Kong and is undergoing checks as a matter of abundant precaution,” a spokeswoman said.

The airline has recently been embroiled in one of the world’s worst aviation disasters in decades. An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed minutes after taking off from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad last Thursday, killing more than 200 people.

The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said it arranged for Monday’s flight to land at Hong Kong International Airport after receiving a request to return due to a “technical reason” at 12.38pm.