Days after Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India Express flight delayed at last minute due to THIS reason

An Air India Express flight from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport near Kolkata, West Bengal to the Hindon Airport in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad was on Saturday delayed due to a technical fault identified shortly before its scheduled takeoff. Flight IX 1511 was grounded while on the runway for over an hour due to the snag, and eventually departed after a seven-hour delay. Air India Express, which is a fully-owned subsidiary of Air India, has issued a statement acknowledging the delay and apologising for the inconvenience caused to the passengers.

Air India Express statement
"Our Kolkata-Hindon flight operated, with a delay, due to a snag on the originally assigned aircraft. Guests were offered complimentary rescheduling or cancellation with a full refund. We regret the inconvenience," an Air India Express spokesperson said in the official statement.

Plane was preparing departure
According to media reports, the Air India Express plane had already taxied to the runway and was preparing for departure when a last-minute snag was detected by the flight's crew. Ground engineers were then called in to assess the issue, causing the delay in takeoff. The nature of the fault has not yet been disclosed.

Ahmedabad plane crash
The incident comes just days after an Air India plane carrying 242 people -- 230 passengers and 12 crew members -- crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad international airport, killing almost everyone on board. The accident occurred on Thursday, marking one of India's deadliest aviation accidents. The plane crashed in a residential area close to the airport and killed dozens others on the ground. Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian origin, is the sole survivor of the tragic incident. An investigation to determine the cause of the crash is currently ongoing.