The aircraft was around 50 minutes into the flight and flying at 36,000 feet when the pilot and co-pilot noticed the oil quantity falling rapidly.
An Air India Express Boeing 737 operating flight IX 415 from Kochi to Abu Dhabi was forced to turn back shortly after take-off on August 31. This was after the crew detected a rapid drop in Engine 1 oil quantity, news agency ANI reported.
The crew carried out a FORDEC assessment. As the oil quantity continued to drop, they decided to abandon the Abu Dhabi sector and return to Kochi.
The crew later shut down Engine 1 after its oil pressure entered the danger zone, sources said.
The aircraft landed safely at Cochin International Airport.
Air India Express responded to the incident and said that passengers were flown to Abu Dhabi on an alternative aircraft.
“A week ago, one of our Kochi-Abu Dhabi flights made an air turnback in line with established safety protocols. Guests were subsequently connected to Abu Dhabi on an alternative aircraft,” said an Air India Express spokesperson.
"Reports presenting this incident without the relevant timeline and context may inadvertently cause unnecessary concern among guests and the travelling public." - An Air India Express spokesperson.
Similar issues
Earlier, an Air India Express flight operating from Varanasi to Delhi was diverted to Lucknow over a technical issue, the airline said in a statement.
The crew decided to make the “precautionary diversion” keeping the safety of passengers in mind, the airline said. “The aircraft landed safely, and all guests were provided refreshments upon arrival,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.
The airline said an alternate flight was being arranged on priority to take passengers to Delhi. The diversion comes amid a series of recent flight disruptions involving technical and operational issues.
Earlier this month, a Delhi-bound IndiGo aircraft returned to Goa after a technical issue involving one of its engines and made an emergency landing.
On September 6, a Virgin Atlantic flight from Bengaluru to London developed a technical problem shortly after take-off and returned to Kempegowda International Airport.
The aircraft reportedly took off at around 8:20 am and developed the problem soon after departure. The crew circled near Tumakuru for more than 30 minutes before returning to Bengaluru.
The aircraft made an emergency landing as a safety precaution. All passengers were safe, according to sources at Bangalore International Airport Ltd. The exact nature of the technical problem had not been disclosed.
