Air India flight engine sucks in cargo container at Delhi airport, DGCA initiates probe
New-York bound aircraft returned to IGIA after sudden airspace closure by Iran, was moving towards parking bay
Air India aircraft that suffered damage, at airport on Thursday. ANI An Air India aircraft suffered substantial engine damage after sucking in a cargo container while on its way to the parking bay at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) early on Thursday morning. According to the airline, all the passengers are safe. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a detailed investigation into the incident.
Shortly after taking off, the New-York bound Flight AI 101 was forced to return to Delhi after Iran announced a sudden temporary closure of its airspace amid the escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. According to flight tracking website flightradar24, it departed IGIA at 3.13 am and was cruising over Gujarat when the airspace closure came into effect.
The Airbus A350 aircraft landed safely on Runway 28 and was moving towards its parking bay, when the second engine ingested the cargo container that had accidentally fallen onto the taxiway, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
The incident occurred around 5.25 am, when the visibility had dropped to ‘marginal’ due to dense fog.
“The preliminary investigation has revealed that a Bird Worldwide Flight Services (BWFS) tug transporting a few containers to Baggage Makeup Area of Terminal 3 crossed this intersection while on the vehicular lane… one of the containers toppled onto the taxiway intersection,” the ministry said.
A source, meanwhile, said: “One wheel of the container dolly came off and the container toppled onto the taxiway. The equipment operator noticed the Air India aircraft taxiing in and vacated the spot with remaining dollies and containers, leaving behind the one which had fallen.”
BWFS is a firm which handles operations like ground handling, customer management and cargo management services at around six major Indian airports.
Metal debris was later cleared from the taxiway, and the aircraft was towed and parked.
In a statement, Air India said the aircraft encountered a “foreign object” while taxiing after landing, resulting in damage to the right engine. “It was safely positioned to the designated parking stand, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew on board,” an Air India spokesperson said.
The airline added that the aircraft has been grounded for inspection and repairs, which may lead to disruptions on select A350 routes.
Sources also said that three Air India flights were impacted as a result of Iran’s airspace shutdown.
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