Fire indication in engine: Indore-bound Air India flight returns to Delhi after takeoff

An Indore-bound Air India flight made an emergency return to Delhi airport on Sunday morning after the cockpit crew received a fire warning in one of its engines, sources told news agency PTI.

The aircraft, an Airbus A320neo operating as flight AI2913, had taken off from Delhi but returned after being airborne for over 30 minutes. The pilot reported a fire indication in the right engine, following which standard operating procedure was carried out and the engine was shut down mid-air.

The plane, carrying more than 90 passengers, landed safely at Delhi around 6:15 am. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been informed and the aircraft has been grounded for technical inspection.

"Flight AI2913, operating from Delhi to Indore on August 31, air-returned to Delhi shortly after takeoff, as the cockpit crew received a fire indication for the right engine. Following standard procedure, the cockpit crew elected to shut down the engine and returned to Delhi where the flight landed safely," Air India said in a statement.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed the plane remained airborne for more than half an hour before making the precautionary landing.

Air India said passengers are being transferred to an alternative aircraft to continue their journey to Indore.

The airline, now part of the Tata Group, has faced a series of technical incidents in recent months, with several aircraft returning mid-air due to reported snags. 

(With inputs from PTI)