An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham landed safely on Saturday after its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed during the final approach, ANI reported.
Safe landing after in-flight alert
The aircraft touched down safely at Birmingham Airport, with all passengers and crew unharmed. Air India confirmed that despite the RAT deployment, all electrical and hydraulic systems remained fully functional during the approach.
“The operating crew of flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham on 4 October detected deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) of the aircraft during its final approach. All electrical and hydraulic parameters were found normal, and the aircraft performed a safe landing at Birmingham,” an Air India spokesperson said, as quoted by ANI. The airline said the aircraft has been grounded for detailed technical inspection. Consequently, the return flight AI114 from Birmingham to Delhi was cancelled. Air India added that alternative arrangements were being made to accommodate affected passengers.
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What is a Ram Air Turbine?
A Ram Air Turbine, or RAT, is a small propeller that pops out of an aircraft when there’s a serious power failure. It uses the rushing air to generate emergency power so that pilots can keep flying safely and maintain control of key systems.
In this case, though, Air India clarified that all main systems were working fine and the flight landed safely.
The incident comes at a time when India’s aviation sector continues to expand, even as passenger traffic in August saw a minor dip compared with the previous month.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), domestic airlines carried 1,107.26 lakh passengers between January and August 2025, marking a 4.99 per cent year-on-year rise from 1,054.66 lakh during the same period last year. However, monthly passenger numbers fell 1.40 per cent in August compared with July.
IndiGo continued to dominate the market, carrying 83.14 lakh passengers in August – a 64.2 per cent market share – slightly down from 65.2 per cent in July. Despite this dip, the airline has consistently maintained over 63 per cent share each month this year.
