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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 flight engine sucks in cargo container at IGIA, Air India flight, air india, Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), delhi news, India news, Indian express, current affairsAir 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.

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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.

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More

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