Air India flight returns to Hong Kong due to a midair technical issue

An Air India flight has returned to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff due to a midair technical issue

ByKANIS LEUNG Associated Press and RAJESH ROY Associated Press

HONG KONG -- An Air India flight returned to Hong Kong on Monday shortly after takeoff due to a midair technical issue, days after another of the airline's flights crashed and killed at least 270 people.

Air India said in a statement that the New Delhi-bound plane landed in Hong Kong safely and was undergoing checks “as a matter of abundant precaution.” Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a separate statement that flight AI315 returned to the southern Chinese city’s airport around 1 p.m.

The plane was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the same model as the London-bound flight that struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff on Thursday. The crash killed 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived.

The flag carrier of India said alternative arrangements have been made to fly the affected passengers to their destination at the earliest convenience.

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Roy reported from New Delhi. Associated Press video journalist Alice Fung in Hong Kong contributed to the report.