Air India said in a statement that the New Delhi-bound plane landed in Hong Kong safely and was undergoing checks "as a matter of abundant precaution." Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a separate statement that flight AI315 returned to the southern Chinese city's airport around 1 p.m.
An Air India flight has returned to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff due to a midair technical issue
The plane was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the same model as the London-bound flight that struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff on Thursday. The crash killed 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived.
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The flag carrier of India said alternative arrangements have been made to fly the affected passengers to their destination at the earliest convenience.