In a rare and potentially dangerous ground incident at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Thursday morning, an Air India Airbus A350-900 operating a Delhi–New York flight sustained engine damage after allegedly ingesting a cargo container while taxiing. All 300-plus passengers and crew on board are safe.
The incident involved Flight AI101, which had already returned to Delhi midair shortly after departure due to the sudden closure of Iranian airspace affecting its planned route to New York. The aircraft had taken off from Terminal 3 at 3.13 am and landed back in Delhi at 5.47 am.
According to sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft landed safely on Runway 28. “During taxiing to the apron at the Taxiway junction (N/N4), Engine No. 2 ingested a cargo container, causing damage to the engine,” a source said.
Preliminary information suggests that the incident occurred when ground handling equipment was being moved in the vicinity of the taxiway. Bird Worldwide Flight Services, the ground handling agency, was reportedly transporting a tug along with multiple cargo containers near Bay 242, an area designated for parking ground service equipment for another airline.
“While the equipment was being moved, a wheel of one container dolly came off, causing the container to topple onto the taxiway,” a source familiar with the matter said. “The operator noticed the Air India aircraft approaching and moved the remaining equipment away, but the fallen container was left behind and was subsequently ingested by the engine.”
After debris was cleared from the taxiway, the aircraft was moved to Stand 244. The plane has since been grounded and rectification work is under way.
Air India, in an official statement, described the event as a foreign object damage incident under poor visibility conditions. “Air India confirms that Flight AI101 was forced to return to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace. 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.
“The aircraft was safely positioned at the designated parking stand, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew. The aircraft is currently grounded for a thorough investigation and necessary repairs, which may cause potential disruptions on select A350 routes,” the statement added.
A video recorded by a passenger on board partially captured the incident and has since circulated.
Aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan said the ground handling agency could be at fault. “The suction area of wide-body aircraft like the Airbus A350, Boeing 777 and 787 is extremely powerful,” he said. “There are clearly marked safety lines beyond which trolleys and containers must not be taken, as pilots cannot see the engines from the cockpit.”
He added that similar incidents involving foreign object ingestion have occurred at airports in India and abroad in the past.
An investigation into the incident is expected to focus on ground handling procedures and safety compliance at the airport.
