Air India flight grounded after engine ingests luggage bag in New Delhi

An Air India flight was recently grounded after its engine ingested a luggage bag while taxiing in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Flight AI101, bound for New York, was forced to return to New Delhi shortly after takeoff due to closure of Iranian airspace amid ongoing tensions between the United States (U.S.) and Iran.

An Air India spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating that after encountering a foreign object, the plane has been grounded and placed at the designated parking bay for detailed inspection.

The spokesperson added, “The right engine of the plane was damaged. Fortunately, the passengers and the crew remained safe.”

The airline apologised to passengers for the inconvenience and stated that they were arranging alternative travel and refunds. Passengers can expect disruptions on some A350 routes.

According to The Independent, the incident occurred when the plane was taxiing, a phase of flight where aircraft engines operate at low speeds but still generate powerful suction.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the causes behind it.

Tensions in Iran and sudden closure of its airspace resulted in severe disruption of flight operations from India to North America. Several other services to Newark and New York were also cancelled due to Iran’s airspace closure.