An IndiGo flight, 6E 2006, operating from Delhi to Leh on June 19, 2025, returned to origin due to a “technical issue” which caused operational restrictions to land in Leh, the airline said.

“As per procedures, the pilot returned back to Delhi. The aircraft is undergoing necessary maintenance before resuming operations,” IndiGo said in a statement.

“In the meanwhile, an alternative aircraft has been arranged to fly the customers to Leh. We regret the inconvenience caused to the customers and remain committed to the safety and security of our customers and crew,” the carrier said.

This comes at a time when rival Air India has seen a wave of flight cancellations amid enhanced safety checks on Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, operational issues such as technical snags, and airspace restrictions due to the Iran-Israel war.

An Air India Boeing-777 aircraft from San Francisco to Mumbai flight was grounded at Kolkata airport, where it stops for refuelling on Tuesday. The passengers were deplaned after a suspected technical snag. Consequently, Air India's Mumbai-San Francisco flight was also cancelled. Earlier this week, Delhi-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Hong Kong returned to its airport of origin following a mid-air technical snag. Air India Flight 315 requested to remain in proximity to Hong Kong due to a technical issue, eventually choosing to return to Hong Kong International Airport. The pilot informed air traffic control, saying, "Due to technical reasons, we would like to stay closer to Hong Kong. Maybe, we will come back and land in Hong Kong once we sort out the problem. We don't want to continue further."

Amid enhanced safety checks, Air India has slashed its international services on widebody aircraft by 15% until at least mid-July as the Tata group-owned airline aims to ensure the stability of operations, improve efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers. Air India said the revised schedule of its international services effective from June 20, 2025, will be shared shortly.

India’s aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) mandated ‘Enhanced Safety Inspection’ across Air India’s Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft fleet following the deadly air crash of London-bound AI 171 in Ahmedabad.

Out of the total 33 Boeing 787 aircraft, inspections have now been completed on 26 and these have been cleared for service, while inspection of the remainder will be complete in the coming days.