A technical snag delayed a New Delhi-bound Air India flight by nearly 12 hours at the Vijayawada Airport on Saturday.

According to airport officials, the aircraft which arrived around 7 a.m. from Delhi as per schedule was supposed to return about an hour later.

An official said that a technical issue was identified by the flight crew when the aircraft was on the runway with over 170 passengers on board. Later, passengers were asked to deboard and the concerned teams took up restoration works.

The flight has been rescheduled to 8 p.m. initially and 8.50 p.m again on Saturday. About 110 passengers will board the rescheduled flight while others chose other options of cancellation and rescheduling. Air India officials were not available for comment.