An Air India flight from Kochi to Delhi aborted takeoff due to a technical issue in the early hours of Monday. Officials said the aircraft returned to the bay after the problem occurred. Among the passengers on board was Lok Sabha MP and Congress leader Hibi Eden. Airport officials could not immediately confirm the total number of passengers on the flight.
A Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) spokesperson said the Air India aircraft aborted the takeoff because of a technical issue. The airline informed the airport that it was arranging another aircraft. Officials confirmed that the flight was expected to depart at 1 am on Monday. “A technical issue caused an Air India flight bound for Delhi to abort the takeoff. Air India is rectifying it and has informed Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) that they are changing the aircraft. The expected new time of departure is 0100 hrs,” a CIAL PRO said in a statement.
Air India Issues Statement
Air India confirmed that flight AI504 from Kochi to Delhi, scheduled on 17 August, was rescheduled due to a technical issue. A spokesperson said, “The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the take-off run following standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft back to the bay for maintenance checks.”
Delhi-bound Air India plane aborts take off at Kochi airport due to technical issue: Airport spokesperson.
Delhi-bound Air India plane aborts take off at Kochi airport due to technical issue: Airport spokesperson. pic.twitter.com/NOxE7u2GGm
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 17, 2025
MPs on Board Share Ordeal
The incident became public after Ernakulam Congress MP Hibi Eden shared his experience on social media. Eden wrote that the aircraft appeared to skid on the runway during the attempted takeoff. “Something unusual with this flight AI 504, it just felt like the flight skid on the runway and hasn’t taken off yet. Air India cancelled AI 504 and announced a new flight at 1 am which hasn’t still started boarding, today is the third flight which has been AOG,” he posted on X. Rajya Sabha MP Jebi Mather, also on board, confirmed that the pilot announced the aircraft could not continue.
Something unusual with this flight ✈️ AI 504, it just felt like the flight skid on the runway and hasn’t taken off yet. Air India cancelled AI 504 and announced a new flight at 1 am which hasn’t still started boarding, today is the third flight which has been AOG
— Hibi Eden (@HibiEden) August 17, 2025
Air India also cancelled its Milan-Delhi flight on 16 August after detecting a maintenance issue during pushback. The airline said it arranged alternative plans for passengers to travel at the earliest. In a statement, Air India said, “Flight AI138 operating from Milan to Delhi on August 16 was cancelled due to a maintenance task identified during pushback. Our ground team in Milan extended immediate assistance to all the affected passengers, providing hotel accommodation and offering full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling as opted by the passengers.” The airline said the issue also coincided with crew duty-time limits.
Ongoing Technical Challenges for Air India
Air India usually deploys Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft for flights to European destinations. The Milan cancellation added to recent delays and disruptions that passengers have faced. Since Tata Group took over Air India in January 2022, the airline has faced several last-minute flight delays and cancellations. Many of these problems occurred due to technical or maintenance issues. Air India’s CEO and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, has assured passengers that the airline has conducted thorough checks on its Boeing 787 fleet. Despite these assurances, passengers continue to experience sudden flight disruptions, affecting the airline’s schedule and reliability.
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Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
