An Air India flight from Mumbai to Chennai was compelled to return to Mumbai on Saturday, June 28, 2025, following the detection of a burning smell in the cabin. The Air India flight AI 639, which had taken off at 11:50 pm, landed safely back in Mumbai around 12:47 am.

According to an Air India spokesperson, the flight's return to Mumbai was a precautionary measure. After flying for approximately 45 minutes, the captain made an announcement about turning back due to a technical issue.

Upon landing, an aircraft change was initiated, and ground staff provided support to passengers to minimize any inconvenience caused by the unforeseen disruption. A passenger, Utsav Tiwari, confirmed the timeline of the flight, noting the safe landing at approximately 12:47 am.

This incident follows other recent events involving Air India flights. On Friday, June 27, 2025, a Bangkok-bound Air India flight was delayed for five hours after hay was discovered stuck in one of the aircraft's wings. Also on the same day, an Air India flyer reportedly misbehaved with another passenger on an Amritsar to Delhi flight. In response to a recent Boeing Dreamliner crash, a parliamentary panel has summoned Boeing executives and Air India representatives to discuss air safety issues.

In another incident earlier in the week, on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, passengers and crew on an Air India flight from London to Mumbai reported feeling sick.

A similar incident occurred in July 2022, when an Air India flight from Dubai to Cochin was diverted to Mumbai due to low pressure in the cabin. In that same month, another Air India Express flight from Calicut to Dubai was diverted to Muscat after a burning smell was observed in the cabin mid-air.