Air India Express' Abu Dhabi-bound flight forced to return to Kochi after engine oil warning: ‘Danger’

An Air India Express Boeing 737 operating flight IX 415 from Kochi to Abu Dhabi was forced to turn back shortly after take-off on August 31. This was after the crew detected a rapid drop in Engine 1 oil quantity, news agency ANI reported.The passenger was exiting an Air India Express flight from Bengaluru (REUTERS)The aircraft was around 50 minutes into the flight and flying at 36,000 feet when the pilot and co-pilot noticed the oil quantity falling rapidly.The crew carried out a FORDEC assessment. As the oil quantity continued to drop, they decided to abandon the Abu Dhabi sector and return to Kochi.The crew later shut down Engine 1 after its oil pressure entered the danger zone, sources said.The aircraft landed safely at Cochin International Airport.Similar issuesEarlier, an Air India Express flight operating from Varanasi to Delhi was diverted to Lucknow over a technical issue, the airline said in a statement.The crew decided to make the “precautionary diversion” keeping the safety of passengers in mind, the airline said. “The aircraft landed safely, and all guests were provided refreshments upon arrival,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.The airline said an alternate flight was being arranged on priority to take passengers to Delhi. The diversion comes amid a series of recent flight disruptions involving technical and operational issues.