Air India A350 grounded after engine ingests cargo container at Delhi Airport

India’s aviation regulator has launched an investigation after an Air India Airbus A350 registered VT-JRB suffered engine damage when it ingested a cargo container while taxiing at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. No injuries were reported among the roughly 240 passengers and crew on board, but the aircraft has been grounded for repairs.

The New York-bound flight AI101 had earlier returned to Delhi shortly after departure due to the temporary closure of Iranian airspace. After landing safely, the jet was taxiing to its parking stand in conditions of dense fog when the incident occurred at around 05:25 local time on Thursday (15 January). According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, a cargo container had fallen from a ground-handling cart onto a taxiway intersection and was subsequently sucked into the aircraft’s right-hand engine.

Air India said the container fell after a wheel detached from a cart being towed by a ground vehicle. While the vehicle operator left the area upon noticing the aircraft, the fallen container remained on the taxiway. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that debris was later cleared and has opened a detailed investigation. Images released by the regulator show damage to the engine casing and fan blades.

The incident has renewed attention on ground safety at India’s busy airports, following previous DGCA findings of safety lapses across the sector. Air India has warned of possible disruptions on some Airbus A350 routes as it operates a small fleet of six of the type on long-haul services, including flights to London and New York.