New Delhi: A Boeing 777 aircraft of Air India has been grounded as a small crack was observed on the bottom right corner of one of its entry doors after the plane landed at San Francisco airport in US, the airline said on Monday.
The national carrier said it has made alternative arrangements for 100 of the total 210 passengers who were supposed to take the return flight on the same aircraft.
"B777 aircraft, VT-ALH arrived in SFO (San Francisco) on AI 183. During walk-around inspection on arrival, a small cut/crack on bottom right corner of left side #2 entry door (sic)," said an Air India spokesperson.
"Air India is trying to get help from the local Aircraft Maintenance Repair Agencies for the repair, failing which men and material would be sent from India," the spokesperson added.
The Delhi-San Francisco flight has the code of AI183, while the return flight has the code of AI184.
"In AI 184, there are 210 pax (passengers). Out of which 50 are shifted to AI174. 50 are shifted to other airlines. About 25 pax cancelled their journey by own. Remaining pax are undecided," (sic) the spokesperson added.
Just like AI184, the AI174 flight is also a non-stop Air India flight from San Francisco to Delhi.
Boeing 777, one of the long-range wide-body jet airliner from the manufacturer, has a seating capacity of 314 to 396 passengers.
The incident points fingers at the laxity on the part of Air India staff as the aircraft should not have been given clearance to fly from the New Delhi airport. A leak on the passenger door on air could be deadly as it may cause loss of cabin pressure.
