Flight lands after emergency system triggered

The incident involved an Air India Boeing 787

An Air India flight has landed safely, after an emergency system was triggered on its approach to Birmingham Airport.

The airline said the ram air turbine (RAT) on board the Boeing 787 was deployed, which could be a sign of engine failure.

However, the airline said "all electrical and hydraulic parameters were found normal, and the aircraft performed a safe landing".

The plane was completing flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham shortly before 19:00 BST on Saturday when the alarm was raised. The aircraft has been grounded for checks and its onward journey cancelled.

In a statement, Air India said: "AI114 from Birmingham to Delhi has been cancelled and alternative arrangements are being made to accommodate the guests."

It added that the safety of passengers and crew remained its top priority.

Emergency backup

The RAT, a small propeller that extends from the underside of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, acts as an emergency backup generator. It automatically deploys in flight when both engines lose power or if all three hydraulic systems register critically low pressure, supplying limited power to keep essential flight systems operational.

In this case, the airline has stressed that none of those circumstances applied.

The RAT system was deployed before the catastrophic crash of another Air India Boeing 787 in June.