Day after airlines' SOS to govt, Air India flight makes unscheduled landing after mid-air fuel scare

An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Bhubaneswar made an unscheduled landing in Jaipur on Wednesday after concerns emerged over fuel availability during the journey, though the airline attributed the diversion to adverse weather conditions.

The incident involved flight IX-1057, which had departed from Delhi and was headed to Bhubaneswar when the diversion decision was taken.

According to initial information, the aircraft was rerouted to Jaipur as a precautionary measure after fuel-related concerns were identified mid-flight.

The pilot subsequently opted to land at Jaipur airport safely.

There were no reports of any technical malfunction, injuries or damage during the incident.

Passengers reportedly remained seated inside the aircraft after landing while airline and airport authorities coordinated further arrangements.

Airline cites bad weather

However, Air India Express denied reports linking the diversion to a fuel shortage and said the flight was diverted because of weather conditions on the route.

“Due to adverse weather conditions en route to Bhubaneswar, one of our flights from Delhi was diverted briefly to Jaipur,” an airline spokesperson said.

“When the weather improved, the flight resumed its operations to Bhubaneswar,” the spokesperson added.

Recent precautionary landing

The development comes days after another Air India flight made a precautionary landing.

On 26 April, flight AI633 from Mumbai to Bhopal landed safely in Bhopal following a suspected technical issue.

“The crew operating flight AI633 from Mumbai to Bhopal on 26 April decided to make a precautionary landing at Bhopal due to a suspected technical issue as per standard operating procedure,” Air India had said.

The airline stated that all passengers and crew members disembarked safely.

Airlines under severe financial stress

The incident comes at a time when Indian airlines are facing mounting financial pressure due to soaring aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and war-related airspace disruptions linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict.

The Federation of Indian Airlines — representing Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet — recently warned the government that the aviation sector was under “extreme stress”.

In a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the FIA said rising jet fuel prices and longer international routes caused by airspace restrictions were pushing airlines towards “unsurmountable losses”.

“The airline industry in India is under extreme stress and is on the verge of closing down or of stopping its operations,” the federation said.

Fuel costs and rerouted flights hit airlines

Airlines said nearly 40 per cent of operational expenses are now linked to fuel procurement.

The industry body warned that rising crude oil prices following the Iran conflict, combined with rupee depreciation and longer rerouted international flights, had sharply escalated costs across both domestic and global operations.

The FIA also sought temporary suspension of the 11 per cent excise duty on ATF and highlighted high state-level VAT rates on jet fuel in major aviation hubs.

Separately, Air India recently unveiled its first retrofitted twin-aisle Boeing 787-8 aircraft as part of a wider modernisation programme covering 26 Boeing 787 planes.

Indian carriers operating major international routes through West Asia, Europe and North America have been among the worst affected by disruptions linked to the Iran conflict and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy transit route.