Air India Flight Returns to Airport After Burning Smell Was Detected in Cabin, Passenger Speaks

• Air India Flight AI 639 from Mumbai to Chennai made an unexpected return to Mumbai Airport after a burning smell was detected in the cabin
• The precautionary return occurred after the burning smell was noticed on Friday, and the plane landed safely at the airport
• A passenger on the flight shared details about the return, as authorities shared what happened after the flight returned to the airport

An Air India plane flight from Mumbai to Chennai in India made an unexpected return to the airport in Mumbai.

The flight AI 639 returned to the airport after a burning smell was detected in the cabin.

As reported by NDTV, the return was a precautionary move following the burning smell.

Air India flight makes U-turn over burning smell

A spokesperson for Air India noted that the flight landed safely in Mumbai after the burning smell was detected on Friday.

According to the spokesperson, there was an aircraft change after the flight landed safely.

Ground officials of Air India at the Mumbai airport provided the passengers with the needed support during the process.

The spokesperson said:

“The flight landed safely back in Mumbai, and an aircraft change was initiated. Our ground colleagues in Mumbai provided all necessary support to passengers to minimise the inconvenience caused by this unforeseen disruption."

Air India flight passenger speaks after return

A passenger, Utsav Tiwari, posted on social media that the aircraft took off at 11.50 pm.

After flying for some 45 minutes, the captain announced they would be returning to Mumbai due to a technical issue.

The passenger said:

"We touched down safely around 12.47 am.”

Recent Air India activities spark safety concerns

The return flight to Mumbai happened days after there was a health scare on Air India flight AI 130 from London to Mumbai on June 23, 2025.

Five passengers and two crew members on the flight fell ill. The affected individuals experienced dizziness and nausea, and one crew member collapsed during the flight.

These occurrences were recorded after an Air India plane crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, leading to the death of 229 passengers and 12 crew members.

An Air India plane, Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, India.

The aircraft, which was supposed to land at London’s Gatwick airport, crashed near the airport in Ahmedabad and exploded in a fireball, killing 241 people on board, with only one survivor, Vishwash Ramesh.

Teenage boy killed by Air India crash

In a related story on Legit.ng, a teenage boy, Akash Patni, who was resting near his family's tea stall, was tragically among those killed in the crash that shook Ahmedabad in India.

When the crash happened, the boy’s mother, Sita, who was unaware that her son was sleeping nearby, managed to run.

Akash’s mother, Sita, survived with injuries and was in the ICU, unaware that her son had died just metres away.

Source: Legit.ng