Air India Express flight returns to Kochi after engine oil drop

An Air India Express Boeing 737, operating flight IX 415 from Kochi to Abu Dhabi, was forced to return to Cochin International Airport following a technical emergency. Approximately 50 minutes after takeoff, while cruising at 36,000 feet, the flight crew detected a rapid decline in the oil quantity of Engine 1.

Following a FORDEC decision-making assessment, the pilots elected to abandon the flight to Abu Dhabi and divert back to Kochi. As the aircraft continued its descent, the oil pressure in Engine 1 entered a danger zone, prompting the crew to shut down the engine entirely. The aircraft subsequently completed a safe landing at Cochin International Airport on a single engine.