Air India A350 sustains engine damage after container ingestion in fog

An Air India Airbus A350 operating flight AI101 (Delhi–New York, JFK) sustains substantial damage to its No. 2 engine after ingesting a baggage container while taxiing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in dense fog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) says. The aircraft lands safely and more than 250 passengers and crew are unharmed, but the incident grounds the jet pending detailed inspections and adds strain to Air India’s limited A350 availability.

The sequence began after AI101 executed an airturnback when Iranian airspace unexpectedly closed en route. The A350 returned to Delhi and landed on Runway 28 at about 05:25 IST before taxiing toward an apron. While moving to its parking bay at the taxiway N / N4 junction, the right engine ingested a baggage container that had toppled onto the taxiway, DGCA materials state. After debris was cleared the aircraft was positioned on stand 244.

Regulatory notes and operational accounts identify the ground handling operation involved a BWFS tug that was transporting containers toward the baggage makeup area near bay 242, an area designated for Air Mauritius ground support equipment parking. Reports describe a wheel on the container dolly as having come off, which reportedly caused the container to fall onto the movement area and be ingested into the engine during taxi. The ingestion produced metal debris that had to be cleared from the taxiway.

Air India confirms the event occurred on the ground and says passengers and crew were not injured. The carrier is assisting affected passengers with alternative travel arrangements and refunds while engineering teams begin comprehensive inspections and repairs. The damaged A350 is grounded pending a detailed technical investigation and remedial work. The loss of the aircraft exacerbates an existing shortfall: Air India’s A350 fleet is already operating with reduced availability, and the out-of-service jet further constrains the airline’s long-haul operations.

The DGCA has opened a formal investigation and says its Directorate of Air Safety (North Region) is conducting further inquiries into how the foreign object came to be on the taxiway. The regulator’s initial note confirms the airturnback earlier in the flight and locates the ingestion at the N / N4 junction. Authorities describe the sequence of container movement, dolly failure and subsequent ingestion as subject to verification through the probe.

The incident has prompted renewed scrutiny of airside safety protocols and ground-handling practices, particularly when visibility is marginal. Engine ingestion, in technical terms, occurs when a jet engine draws in a foreign object such as baggage containers, tools, debris or birds. Such events can damage fan blades and internal components, typically requiring engine shutdown, inspection or replacement and careful clearance of movement areas.

Unverified photos and videos circulating online purport to show visible damage to the right engine; those visuals remain unconfirmed by investigators. The unfolding investigation will focus on equipment maintenance and handling procedures for container dollies, visibility-driven operational controls, and coordination between ground handlers and air traffic movement during low-visibility conditions. The outcome will bear on both airport safety practices and the operational resilience of a carrier already managing tight widebody resources.