Airlines

United Flight Diverts to Shannon, After Stuck Laptop in Business Class Seat

A United Airlines flight from Zurich to Chicago O’Hare was forced to make an emergency diversion to Shannon, Ireland.

On Saturday afternoon after a passenger got their laptop wedged in a Business Class seat aboard the Boeing 767-300. Operating as United Flight 12, the aircraft departed from Flughafen Zürich at 9:46 a.m. local time and took off at 10:08 a.m.

The captain decided to divert the flight not because the passenger couldn’t access their laptop, but because any device powered by lithium-ion batteries that becomes inaccessible could pose a significant safety risk.

Such devices, if damaged or overheated, could lead to a thermal runaway event, potentially causing a fire on board. The Boeing 767-300, featuring United’s relatively new Polaris business-class cabin, landed safely at Shannon Airport in County Clare at 1:43 p.m. IST (Irish Summer Time) and reached the gate at 1:51 p.m.

In a statement, United Airlines acknowledged the diversion: “United flight 12 scheduled from Zurich to Chicago landed safely in Shannon to address a potential safety risk caused by a laptop being stuck in an inaccessible location.” This situation led to the cancellation of the flight, and the airline is working to reroute the 157 passengers who found themselves unexpectedly in Ireland.

Frequent flyers are often reminded in airline safety videos not to move their seats if they lose mobile phones or other gadgets powered by lithium-ion batteries within the seats. Attempting to retrieve such items by moving the seat can damage the battery and potentially cause a dangerous situation.

Airlines

Air India Cancels NY-Delhi Flight to Retrieve Stranded Indian Cricket Team from Barbados

Air India faced scrutiny from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after a scheduled commercial flight from New York to Delhi was allegedly cancelled to accommodate the victorious Indian T20 World Cup team stranded in Barbados.

The incident sparked controversy when passengers slated for the New York-Delhi flight were abruptly informed of its cancellation, reportedly to prioritize a chartered flight for the cricket team.

As Bridgetown Grantley Adams International Airport, (BGI/TBPB) becomes operational, India sent a Private chartered plane Boeing 777-237(LR) "Avijit" from Air India to bring back its world champion team (Men's Cricket T20 World Cup 2024), those stuck in Barbados due to category 5… pic.twitter.com/Vdqvef8bSB— FL360aero (@fl360aero) July 3, 2024

Ajay Awtaney, a passenger affected by the cancellation, voiced his frustration on social media, sharing details of his disrupted travel plans. He claimed the commercial flight was sacrificed for a specially arranged charter, dubbed AIC24WC (Air India Champions 24 World Cup), arranged by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to swiftly bring the team back to India following their triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Amidst growing concerns over flight prioritization and adherence to civil aviation regulations, the DGCA intervened, directing Air India to submit a comprehensive report to clarify the circumstances leading to the flight cancellation.

Aviation expert Mohan Ranganathan emphasized the seriousness of such incidents, highlighting potential violations of DGCA’s civil aviation rules (CAR). The special charter flight, facilitated by Air India amidst impending weather challenges, departed Barbados early morning local time, with a scheduled arrival in New Delhi anticipated the following day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to honor the returning champions upon their arrival, followed by celebratory events in Mumbai commemorating India’s first T20 World Cup victory in over a decade.