The snag-hit plane, an Airbus A320, was grounded and Air India had to deploy another aircraft to fly the stranded passengers to their destination, a source said.
According to sources, Air India flight AI-415 departed at its scheduled time at 6.40 PM last evening but returned to IGIA as the aircraft's air-conditioning system had stopped working mid-way, it said.
The airline was replaced the plane, causing an over four-hour delay, the source added.