Delhi Ground Safety Under Fire as Air India A350 Ingests Cargo Container

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Air India has grounded one of its new Airbus A350 planes after a cargo container was sucked into its engine while taxiing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The incident happened early Thursday morning and has led to a safety investigation by India’s aviation authorities.

The aircraft was operating as flight AI101 to New York and took off around 03:13 local time. Shortly after takeoff, the crew had to return to Delhi because Iran suddenly closed its airspace, blocking the flight’s planned route. The plane landed safely back in Delhi at 05:25 and started taxiing towards the terminal in thick fog and low visibility when the incident occurred.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that the mishap was due to a mechanical failure. A wheel from a cargo tug operated by Bird Worldwide Flight Services broke off, causing a container to fall onto the taxiway. The flight crew could not see the obstruction because of the fog. The A350's powerful right engine sucked the metal container into its fan blades.

Fortunately, all 240 passengers and crew members were safe, but the plane (registration VT-JRB) sustained serious damage to its engine casing and fan blades. This grounding is a big setback for Air India, which operates only six A350s.

The airline has warned that this incident may disrupt its premium long-haul flights, especially those to London and New York, while the engine is repaired or replaced. This has raised concerns about ground safety at Indian airports, especially after a report last June pointed out issues with airside maintenance and crew fatigue.