Air India Deploys ex-Vistara 787-9 for Dubai Flight Amid 7 Hours Delay

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MUMBAI- Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) flight from Mumbai International Airport (BOM) to Dubai Int’l Airport (DXB) faced a technical snag, following this, the flight was delayed by over 7 hours on January 4, 2025.

Air India Flight AI909 originally deemed to be operated by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner faced technical issues and is operated by ex-Vistara 787-9 aircraft.

Photo: avgeekwithlens/ Harsh Tekriwal

Air India Flight Delay

According to the report, there were 250 passengers onboard the flight and they faced lots of challenges at Mumbai Airport.

According to FlightRadar24 data, Air India flight AI909 was scheduled to depart from Mumbai at 8:25 AM local time (IST) and was expected to arrive in Dubai at 10:15 AM local time (GST).

However, due to technical issues with Air India 787-8 aircraft flight was delayed significantly. The flight took off from Mumbai at 5:10 PM IST and landed safely in Dubai at 6:29 PM GST.

The flight was operated by leased 6.2-year-old Vistara Boeing 787-9, registered as VT-TSQ. Further, it is powered by two GEnX engines.

Many passengers were disappointed with the flight delay, despite being allowed accommodation in the transit lounge. Some passengers on X revealed that they were stuck in the aircraft for over 3 hours. While some tagged Indian civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu and complained about the delay.

Photo: avgeekwithlens/ Harsh Tekriwal

Similar Incident

Last year in November, Air India passengers faced significant travel disruptions across multiple routes, with incidents ranging from extended delays in Phuket to weather-related diversions in Delhi. These disruptions highlight growing operational challenges for the Tata Group-owned carrier.

The Phuket crisis began on November 16 when Flight AI377 to Delhi encountered technical difficulties, stranding over 100 passengers for more than 80 hours. Passengers report boarding a malfunctioning aircraft before being asked to deplane, raising serious safety concerns.

One passenger questioned the airline’s decision-making: “The flight was not fit to fly. How can an airline allow risking 150-plus passengers’ lives? These are the words from the pilot—not fit to fly. Yet it took off risking lives. Who would have taken responsibility?”

The situation worsened when passengers missed connecting transportation and appointments due to unclear communication from Air India about alternative arrangements. The extended delay has left travelers stranded without adequate support or information about their return journey.

In a separate incident on November 17, 2024, Air India flight AI2022, operated by Vistara’s Boeing 787-9, diverted to Jaipur due to severe smog conditions in Delhi.

The Paris-Delhi service, scheduled to arrive at 10:35 AM, encountered further complications when pilots reached their duty time limits under DGCA’s Flight Duty Time Limitation rules.

The diverted passengers endured hours of waiting aboard the aircraft before being transported to Delhi by road. This situation sparked intense criticism of Air India’s crisis management capabilities and communication protocols.

Passengers demanded alternative flight arrangements and expressed frustration over the extended containment on the aircraft before receiving any resolution.

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Indian Airlines to Give Meals, Snacks, or Drinks if Flight Delayed

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