Air India Delhi-New York flight engine sucks in baggage container; no one injured

New Delhi : Air India's newest Airbus A350, operating a Delhi-New York flight with over 250 passengers on board, sustained engine damage after ingesting an improperly secured baggage container while taxiing to its parking bay at Delhi airport, sources said.

The incident occurred when Flight AI101, which returned to the national capital shortly after take-off after Iran unexpectedly closed its airspace, was taxiing to its parking bay in dense fog.

No one was injured in the incident.

Engine ingestion refers to an incident in which a jet engine draws in a foreign object - such as baggage containers, tools, debris or birds - instead of clean air.

Unverified videos and pictures showed damage to the aircraft's right-side engine.

The aircraft has been grounded for repairs, adding to Air India's widebody aircraft shortage, with one of its six A350s currently out of service.

The incident occurred when Flight AI101, which returned to the national capital shortly after take-off after Iran unexpectedly closed its airspace, was taxiing to its parking bay in dense fog.

No one was injured in the incident.

Engine ingestion refers to an incident in which a jet engine draws in a foreign object - such as baggage containers, tools, debris or birds - instead of clean air.

Unverified videos and pictures showed damage to the aircraft's right-side engine.

The aircraft has been grounded for repairs, adding to Air India's widebody aircraft shortage, with one of its six A350s currently out of service.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe into the incident to ascertain how a foreign object got lodged inside the engine.

"Air India confirms that Flight AI101, operating from Delhi to New York (JFK), was forced to return to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace, which impacted its planned route. Upon landing in Delhi, the aircraft encountered a foreign object while taxiing in dense fog, resulting in damage to the right engine," the airline said in a statement.

It, however, did not identify the "foreign object". Sources said the foreign object was an improperly secured baggage container.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe into the incident to ascertain how a foreign object got lodged inside the engine.

"Air India confirms that Flight AI101, operating from Delhi to New York (JFK), was forced to return to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace, which impacted its planned route. Upon landing in Delhi, the aircraft encountered a foreign object while taxiing in dense fog, resulting in damage to the right engine," the airline said in a statement.

It, however, did not identify the "foreign object". Sources said the foreign object was an improperly secured baggage container.

"The aircraft was safely positioned at the designated parking stand, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew on board," the airline said in a statement.

A civil aviation ministry spokesperson said the aircraft landed safely at Runway 28 and while taxiing to the apron area, at taxiway N/N4 junction, the right engine ingested a cargo container, causing substantial damage to the engine.

"The incident occurred around 05:25 IST. As per the information, the visibility at the time of the incident was marginal. The preliminary investigation has revealed that a BWFS tug transporting a few containers to the Baggage Makeup Area of Terminal 3 crossed this intersection while on the vehicular lane.

"During crossing, one of the containers toppled onto the taxiway intersection. This container got ingested in the No. 2 engine of Air India A350 aircraft," the spokesperson said.

After clearing metal pieces, the spokesperson said, the aircraft was parked on stand 244.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing the incident.

Providing more details based on the preliminary probe, a DGCA official said the area near bay 242 was designated for Air Mauritius GSE parking.

When the BWFS (Bird Worldwide Flight Services) tug was transporting a few containers to this area, one of the wheels of the container dolly came off, and a container toppled onto the taxiway. The equipment operator noticed Air India aircraft taxiing in, and the equipment operator vacated the spot with the remaining dollies and containers. However, the container which fell was left behind, and it got ingested in the aircraft engine, the official said.

Air India said the aircraft has been grounded for a thorough investigation, and there could be potential disruptions on select routes operated with the A350 aircraft.

Strict ground handling protocols are in place at airports, including when an aircraft's engines are on after landing, and there could have been some lapses that have resulted in this rare incident. Back in December 2015, an Air India technician was sucked into an aircraft engine at the Mumbai airport.

Jet engines operate with immense suction, especially at low speeds during taxiing or take-off. Any object entering the engine can damage or bend fan blades or cause hidden structural stress to internal components.

The engine often has to be shut down and inspected or replaced.

Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft (registration VT-JRB) departed Delhi at 2:36 a.m. and was cruising over Ahmedabad airspace when the closure of airspace came into effect, blocking its planned overflight of Iran - a key corridor for westbound transatlantic flights.

With no viable alternate routing available at that stage, the crew took the precautionary decision to turn back to Delhi.

Air India cancelled two other flights - Delhi-Newark and Mumbai-New York (JFK) - outright as a result of the airspace shutdown.

Iranian airspace is a key transit corridor for long-haul flights between South Asia, Europe and North America as it offers the shortest and most fuel-efficient westbound route. Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for over four hours early Thursday amid tensions with the United States over Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

While international carriers diverted north and south around Iran, the closure appeared to have expired after one extension. A prolonged shutdown of Iranian airspace would have further strained Indian carriers, which have already been operating under longer flight times and higher fuel costs due to the ongoing closure of Pakistan's airspace.

Airlines flying westbound transatlantic routes now face extended detours, increased operational expenses, and scheduling challenges, compounding the financial and logistical pressures on carriers like Air India and other Indian operators.

Sources said that the aircraft's right engine suffered significant damage due to the incident.

Regretting the inconvenience caused to passengers, the airline said it is proactively assisting them with alternative travel arrangements and refunds, as preferred.