New Delhi | January 15, 2026

An Air India aircraft suffered engine damage at the Indira Gandhi International Airport after a ground container was sucked into one of its engines on Thursday, officials said. The incident involved an Air India A350 aircraft, which was stationed on the tarmac when the container reportedly got lodged inside the engine, causing visible damage. A video shared online, believed to be recorded by a passenger onboard, showed ground staff surrounding the aircraft as the affected engine remained exposed.

While no injuries were reported, the incident led to immediate operational disruption at the airport. Air India is yet to issue an official statement clarifying how the container came into the engine’s path or whether standard ground-handling protocols were breached. Airport authorities and airline engineers are expected to conduct a detailed inspection to assess the extent of the damage before the aircraft is cleared for service.

The incident comes just weeks after another Air India flight faced an engine-related issue midair. On December 22, an Air India Boeing 777 operating flight AI887 from Delhi to Mumbai was forced to return to the capital shortly after take-off due to a technical snag. The aircraft, carrying around 355 passengers, made an air turn-back after the flight crew observed low oil pressure in the right-hand engine during flap retraction.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) later confirmed that the engine oil pressure dropped to zero, following which the crew shut down the affected engine as per standard operating procedures and landed safely in Delhi. With two engine-related incidents reported in quick succession, aviation safety practices and ground operations at major airports are likely to come under closer scrutiny in the coming days.

Container Mishap at Delhi Airport Damages Air India Jet, Triggers Safety Review

An Air India aircraft suffered engine damage at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday after a ground container was sucked into one of its engines. The incident occurred while the A350 aircraft was on the tarmac, leading to visible damage and immediate attention from ground personnel. A video circulating online shows the aircraft stationary as staff inspected the affected engine.

There were no reports of injuries, but the aircraft was taken out of operation following the mishap. Air India has not yet issued a detailed statement on the incident, while preliminary checks are underway to determine how the container came into the engine’s vicinity during ground handling.

This episode comes shortly after another technical issue involving an Air India flight. In December, a Boeing 777 operating a Delhi–Mumbai service was forced to return midair after the crew detected low engine oil pressure soon after take-off. The aircraft landed safely back in Delhi following standard safety procedures.

Aviation authorities, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, are expected to closely examine both incidents. The back-to-back occurrences have renewed focus on aircraft maintenance and airport ground safety, especially at one of the country’s busiest aviation hubs.