Air India flight from Vienna to New Delhi diverted to Dubai due to technical issue

A major mid-air emergency occurred onboard Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner, flight AI154 from Vienna to Delhi, after the aircraft encountered multiple auto-flight system failures at 39,000 feet in the early hours of October 9.

The aircraft was diverted to Dubai and landed safely. Following necessary technical checks, the flight departed with a delay.

An Air India spokesperson said: "AI154 operating from Vienna to New Delhi on October 9 was diverted to Dubai due to a suspected technical issue. The aircraft landed safely at Dubai and underwent necessary checks."

Passengers were kept informed, provided refreshments, and the flight eventually departed at 08:45 IST. The spokesperson added, "We regret the inconvenience caused due to the unforeseen delay. At Air India, the safety of passengers and crew remains top priority."

At around 2:45 AM, the autopilot system unexpectedly disconnected, causing malfunctions across several key systems, including:

This resulted in the loss of auto-land capability, forcing the flight crew to manually fly the plane for the remainder of the journey. The airline confirmed that all electrical and hydraulic systems were functioning normally.

Earlier, on October 4, Air India flight AI117, also a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely in Birmingham after deploying the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) during its final approach, highlighting previous technical challenges with the aircraft model.