Srinagar, July 19 -- An Air India Express flight bound for Phuket returned to Hyderabad shortly after takeoff on Saturday morning. Operated by a Boeing 737 Max 8 (VT-BWA), flight IX110 had departed Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 6:40 AM-20 minutes behind schedule-and was expected to land in Phuket at 11:45 AM. However, the flight turned back mid-air for undisclosed reasons. Neither airline nor airport authorities have issued a statement yet.

The incident comes amid a series of technical issues plaguing Indian carriers in recent weeks. On Thursday, an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Imphal also returned shortly after takeoff due to a "minor technical snag." The flight resumed after checks and landed in Imphal nearly 4.5 hours late.

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