Air India’s Delhi–San Francisco flight that was forced to return to the national capital after remaining airborne for more than eight hours on May 27 was operating with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that had remained grounded for nearly six years before being restored and brought back into service earlier this year.
Flight AI173, bound for San Francisco, took off from Delhi on May 27 but had to make a U-turn from Chinese airspace due to a technical snag in its system. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and is set to undergo a technical inspection in line with Air India’s safety standards.
According to Air India, flight AI173 returned to Delhi due to a technical issue in accordance with laid-down procedures. Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft remained airborne for over eight hours and began diverting back to Delhi after flying for more than three hours while in Chinese airspace. Around 230 passengers were on board the flight.
The aircraft involved in the incident was Boeing 777-300ER VT-ALL, which returned to operations in March 2026 after remaining grounded since February 2020.
VT-ALL was grounded due to multiple unserviceable systems and ageing components. Sources told India Today that, under the old Air India management, grounded aircraft were often used as component providers for other aircraft requiring parts. In the case of VT-ALL, several of its components were removed and used in other aircraft while it awaited overhaul for years.
Efforts to restore VT-ALL and return it to service began in April 2025 as part of Air India’s plans to support its long-haul expansion. The aircraft entered the AIESL maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nagpur in May 2025 for what Air India described as an intensive nose-to-tail restoration programme.
The restoration involved the replacement of more than 3,000 components and completion of over 4,000 maintenance tasks. Major assemblies, including the engines and auxiliary power unit (APU), were also replaced before the aircraft was cleared for operations.
“Each part replacement, system restoration, and structural repair underwent stringent testing, documentation, and regulatory oversight by DGCA, with technical guidance from Boeing. Skilled engineering teams worked nearly round the clock to bring the aircraft back to life,” Air India had said while detailing the restoration process and mandatory clearances.
The aircraft also received its Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) before returning to service.
With the return of VT-ALL, Air India completed the revival of all 30 previously grounded aircraft in its fleet.
Following the diversion of AI173, Air India said it regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers and was making alternative arrangements to fly them to San Francisco at the earliest.
“In the meantime, our ground teams are providing all necessary assistance to the passengers, including refreshments, hotel accommodation or rescheduling as opted by them,” the airline said in a statement.
– Ends
Published By:
Akshat Trivedi
Published On:
May 29, 2026 16:12 IST
