Air India Boeing 777 Grounded in Chicago for A Week Returns to Service | Exclusive

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MUMBAI- Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) Boeing 777 was grounded at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) on June 25, 2025 has returned to service on July 6, 2025.

The 17.8-year-old Boeing 777-300ER, registered as VT-ALJ before its grounding operated a flight AI 127 from Delhi (DEL) to Chicago (ORD) via a fuel stopover at Vienna (VIE) on June 25, 2025.

Photo: By Bill Larkins – UnitedoverAirIndia Jan12016, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47618295

Air India 777 Returns to Service

According to Flightaware data, Air India flight AI 127 took off from Delhi at 1:21 AM local time and after being airborne for around 9 hours it landed safely at Vienna at 6:42AM local time.

After being on ground for fueling, the flight took off from Vienna at 8:46 AM local time and landed safely at Chicago at 11:41 AM local time.

According to Aviation A2Z exclusive sources, due to some technical issues, the aircraft was grounded at Chicago. Also due to limited resources at outsation, the airline required additional days to get aircraft back to service.

On July 3, 2025, the a special Star Alliance liveried 777-300ER, VT-ALJ was airworthy and it carried out return ferry flight without passengers to India.

Photo: FlightRadar24

According to FR24 data, the Air India 777 took an unusual route. It operated a flight AI 1167 from Chicago O’Hare to Alexandria International Airport (AEX). The exact reason is not known but we have reached out to Air India and will update the post with their appropriate response.

Two hours later the flight took off again as AI 1168 from Alexandria to Jeddah (JED). Our source told that Jeddah was a fuel stop.

And finally it took off from Jeddah and landed safely at Delhi International Airport (DEL) on July 4, 2025.

The aircraft after operating few domestic flights (I think it was a reposition and test flights) returned to service on July 6, 2025 with a flight AI 929 from Delhi to Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Similar Incident

Well this is not the first time that Air India aircraft is grounded at the US Airport.

Photo: Windy City Wheelman

Air India Boeing 777 aircraft sustained minor damage at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on October 29, 2024, after being struck by loose cargo containers blown by jet blast on the ramp.

The ground incident was captured by Windy City Wheelman, a Chicago-based driver who posted images and commentary on social media platform X.

According to his post, several AKE containers—lightweight cargo units used across the aviation industry—were displaced by the powerful jet blast of a nearby All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 777-300. These containers nearly slammed into the parked Air India 777-200.

The proximity of operations at Terminal 5, which handles most international flights at ORD, has drawn criticism. Windy City Wheelman noted this was the third incident in under two weeks, with cargo containers becoming airborne hazards under the force of nearby jet engines.

Windy City Wheelman attributed the mishap to “a mix of operational carelessness, complacency, and stress,” echoing concerns shared by ramp workers about inconsistent enforcement of safety procedures.

Experts are now calling on ULD (Unit Load Device) manufacturers to re-examine container designs to ensure better anchoring and wind resistance, especially for dollies used in high-traffic airports. Industry observers also suggest that airport authorities restrict vehicle and container movement near widebody aircraft during active taxiing operations.

Photo: Utkarsh Thakkar (Vimanspotter)

777 Grounded at SFO Over Missing Panel

Air India (AI) Boeing 777 was grounded at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) after a panel on the aircraft was reported missing.

Flight AI184, scheduled to operate from San Francisco (SFO) to Delhi (DEL) on April 27, 2024, was canceled. The aircraft remained grounded for two days due to the issue.

Air India (AI) operates five weekly flights between San Francisco (SFO) and Delhi (DEL), typically using Boeing 777-300ER or occasionally 777-200LR aircraft. On April 27, 2024, the airline was forced to cancel its AI184 service after a panel was found missing from the aircraft. The specific location of the missing panel was not disclosed by staff at SFO.

The aircraft involved, a 15-year-old Boeing 777-300ER registered as VT-ALP and named Madhya Pradesh, was grounded for two days. Operations resumed on April 29, 2024, with the next SFO–DEL service.

The absence of a dedicated maintenance facility for Air India at SFO further complicates such technical delays. The carrier does not have a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contract at the airport, leading to reliance on resources flown in from India.

This is not an isolated case for Air India at SFO. On July 4, 2023, another Boeing 777 was grounded at the airport for over a week after it was struck by a ground utility vehicle.

In January 2023, a separate Boeing 777, registered as VT-AEG, remained out of service at SFO for ten days due to spare part shortages and other maintenance-related issues.

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Air India 777 Pilots Operating Delhi to Vienna Flight Grounded

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