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Air India flight from Mumbai to Dehradun diverted to Lucknow due to bad weather: What happened next…
Poor visibility in Dehradun prevented an Air India flight from landing as scheduled, forcing the aircraft to divert to Lucknow before continuing its journey once conditions improved.
Bad weather disrupted air travel on Sunday as an Air India flight travelling from Mumbai to Dehradun was diverted to Lucknow because poor visibility made it unsafe to land at its scheduled destination.
The flight, identified as AI431, was unable to complete its planned landing in Dehradun amid unfavourable weather conditions. Following directions from Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft was redirected towards Lucknow.
The flight landed safely at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow at around 4:45 PM.
Flight resumes after weather improves
Passengers were not left stranded in Lucknow for the night. Once the weather conditions in Dehradun improved and the aircraft received clearance to continue, the flight resumed its journey.
According to information available on Air India’s website, AI431 departed from Lucknow for Dehradun at around 6 PM.
The incident highlights one of the most common challenges faced by airlines during adverse weather: even when an aircraft is ready to land, visibility and other conditions at the destination can make continuing the approach unsafe.
For passengers, a diversion can be frustrating, but such decisions are primarily made with operational and passenger safety in mind.
Another Air India flight diverted on the same day
AI431 was not the only Air India flight affected by an operational issue on Sunday.
Another flight, AI1886, travelling from Bhopal to Delhi, was diverted to Jaipur following a technical issue.
Air India said the decision was taken in accordance with safety procedures. The aircraft landed safely at Jaipur International Airport, where it was scheduled to undergo a technical inspection.
The two incidents had different causes, with AI431 affected by weather conditions and AI1886 diverted because of a technical concern.
Pilot death adds to a difficult day for the airline
Separately, Air India reported the death of a pilot who suffered a cardiac arrest while on a layover in Delhi.
The pilot, who had previously worked with Air India Express, was reportedly found unconscious at a hotel on Friday evening. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
He had been scheduled to operate a flight the following morning.
The incident is separate from the weather-related diversion of AI431 and the technical diversion involving AI1886.
Air India has faced other disruptions recently
The latest incidents come after another operational disruption involving Air India Express in August.
An Air India Express flight travelling from Abu Dhabi to Kochi had to return to its departure airport following a reported technical malfunction.
For airlines, such events can quickly affect schedules, aircraft availability and passenger travel plans. At the same time, diversions and returns to departure airports are established safety measures when weather or technical conditions prevent a flight from continuing normally.
For passengers travelling during periods of unsettled weather, the latest incident is another reminder that flight schedules can change at short notice.
For now, AI431’s diversion ended without a reported safety incident, with the aircraft later continuing towards Dehradun after conditions improved.
