Air India scare: Carrier launches probe after two aircraft safety incidents in 24 hours

Air India has launched an investigation after two of its planes were involved in safety incidents within a span of 24 hours, raising serious questions about the carrier’s aviation safety standards.

India’s flagship carrier’s flight AI2802, carrying 171 passengers, made an emergency landing at Delhi Airport after one of its engines caught fire. The cockpit crew received the fire alert, which was later confirmed to be authentic, prompting pilots to make an emergency landing.

Airbus A320 was coming from Bengaluru on Thursday night. The passengers aboard were evacuated safely and no injuries or fatalities have been reported.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

The airline said, “Air India is immediately initiating a full investigation into the cause of the incident in coordination with the relevant regulatory authorities.”

Earlier, a flight from the same carrier was grounded after an alleged tailstrike at Bengaluru airport.

Airbus A321, coming from Delhi, experienced a tailstrike while landing; however, the pilots managed to safely land the plane and all the passengers and crew disembarked normally.

For the unversed, a tailstrike occurs when the rear underside of an aircraft makes contact with the runway during takeoff or landing.

These incidents come just a year after Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashing killed 241 of 242 passengers last June.