An Air India flight bound for New Jersey in the United States returned to New Delhi after a bat appeared in business class. Reuters
An Air India flight bound for New Jersey in the United States returned to New Delhi after a bat appeared in business class. Reuters
An Air India flight bound for New Jersey in the United States returned to New Delhi after a bat appeared in business class. Reuters
An Air India flight bound for New Jersey in the United States returned to New Delhi after a bat appeared in business class. Reuters

Bat in business class forces US-bound Air India jet to turn back


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An Air India flight from New Delhi to the US state of New Jersey was forced to turn back after a bat flew  around the passenger cabin.

The Boeing 777-300ER was about 30 minutes into its flight from New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday when the animal appeared.

Video taken by a crew member showed the bat hitting the cabin ceiling in the business class section.

Officials said the sighting caused panic among passengers and prompted the pilots to request an emergency landing.

Airport authorities declared an emergency as the plane dumped fuel while circling over Delhi for two hours before touching down.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the aircraft was fumigated after the passengers disembarked. The bat's body was found in Row 8 of the cabin. The regulator has asked for a detailed investigation into the incident.

The passengers continued their journey on another Air India plane.

An airline official told The National that the bat could have entered the plane through a loading vehicle such as a catering lorry.

India’s flag carrier has regularly hit the headlines for the appearance of animals on board, mostly rats which pose a serious threat to the safety of flights as they can chew through wires and damage internal controls.

Last year, passengers raised the alarm after spotting a rat in the cabin on a flight to Delhi from the northern city of Varanasi city.

The aircraft turned back to Varanasi, but the rat was not found.

In 2019, an Air India flight from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam was stranded on the tarmac for 12 hours as pest control staff hunted for a rat.

Another rat sighting forced an Air India plane carrying more than 200 passengers to return to Mumbai almost three hours into a flight to London in December 2015.

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Company profile

Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Kill%20
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Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G