An Air India flight headed to Mumbai was forced to turn back to Delhi on Monday morning after one of its engines developed a problem, about an hour after take-off. The Boeing 777 was reportedly carrying around 355 people.
“The crew operating flight AI887 from Delhi to Mumbai on 22 December decided to return to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue as per standard operating procedure,” Air India said in a statement.
Why the aircraft returned to Delhi
A source from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told the news agency PTI that the aircraft turned back after the flight crew noticed low oil pressure in the right engine while the flaps were being retracted after take-off.
“The engine oil pressure dropped to zero, and the inspection is in progress,” the source said, adding that a review of earlier records did not show any abnormal oil consumption.
The airline said the aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew disembarked without any issues. It also expressed regret for the inconvenience caused due to the unforeseen situation.
Air India said the aircraft is undergoing necessary checks and alternative arrangements have been made to take passengers to their destination.
Flight AI887, operated using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, took off around 6.30 am and remained airborne for about an hour, according to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
Civil Aviation Ministry takes note of the incident
The Civil Aviation Ministry said it has taken note of the Air India flight AI-887 incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The ministry added that it has sought a detailed report from Air India and has directed the DGCA to carry out a thorough investigation.
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken note of the Air India flight AI-887 incident involving a technical issue shortly after take-off. The aircraft landed safely. The Ministry has sought a detailed report from Air India, and DGCA has been directed to conduct a thorough investigation,” the post reads.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken note of the Air India flight AI-887 incident involving a technical issue shortly after take-off. The aircraft landed safely. The Ministry has sought a detailed report from Air India, and DGCA has been directed to conduct a thorough…
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) December 22, 2025
It also said the airline has been asked to provide all assistance to passengers and accommodate them on subsequent flights.
Responding to this, Air India said, “We fully empathise with the passengers who were inconvenienced following the precautionary air-return of AI887 to Delhi.”
Similar incident earlier this month
Earlier, on December 17, an Air India flight bound for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport returned to New Delhi just hours after departure, according to flight tracking platforms.
The flight, AI 155, was scheduled to leave Delhi at 1:15 pm IST and reach Amsterdam at 6:35 pm CET (11:05 pm IST). It reportedly took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1:17 pm. However, instead of continuing to its destination, the Boeing 787-8 aircraft turned back and landed in Delhi after flying for five hours and 34 minutes.
