A Delhi-bound Air India flight from Bhubaneswar was cancelled on Sunday after a technical fault caused unusually high temperatures inside the cabin before take-off, the airline said.
The carrier did not disclose the number of affected passengers, the exact aircraft model, or the scheduled departure time. According to Flightradar24, the service – Flight AI500 – was to be operated by an Airbus A321, scheduled to leave at 12:35 pm and land in Delhi at 2:55 pm.
The incident marks Air India’s second technical glitch of the day. Earlier, its Singapore–Chennai flight (AI349) was cancelled for maintenance work that required more time for repairs.
The cancellation comes against the backdrop of a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) audit that recently flagged over 100 safety violations at Air India, including seven “Level-1” risks that demand immediate corrective action.
In a statement, Air India said:
“Flight AI500 scheduled to operate from Bhubaneswar to Delhi on August 3 has been cancelled due to a technical issue causing high cabin temperature on the ground prior to departure. Our airport team in Bhubaneswar is assisting impacted passengers with alternative arrangements.”
The DGCA’s audit findings follow heightened scrutiny of the airline after one of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed near London on June 12, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground.
A recent nationwide survey revealed that 76% of respondents believe Indian airlines spend more on publicity than safety, with 64% reporting at least one “rough” flight experience in the past three years.
