An Air India A350 ground incident at Delhi Airport has raised safety and operational concerns after a stray cargo container damaged an engine during taxiing in dense fog.
An Air India A350 suffered serious engine damage during a ground incident at Delhi Airport earlier this week, highlighting the risks posed by low visibility and ground handling errors at major aviation hubs. The incident occurred while the aircraft was taxiing in dense fog, causing operational disruption to the airline’s long-haul network.
The Air India A350 was not carrying passengers at the time, and no crew members were injured. However, the aircraft’s right-side engine sustained significant damage after ingesting a stray cargo container. As a result, the widebody jet has been grounded, temporarily reducing Air India’s already limited A350 fleet.
India’s aviation regulator has launched a formal investigation, while Air India has warned that the loss of one aircraft may lead to last-minute aircraft substitutions on key international routes. The event has renewed focus on ground safety procedures during poor weather conditions.
The incident took place at Indira Gandhi International Airport during the early hours of Thursday morning. The A350 had been operating a long-haul service to New York before being forced to return to Delhi due to a temporary airspace restriction over Iran. The aircraft landed shortly after 5:00 a.m. local time, when visibility across the airfield was severely reduced by fog.
While taxiing from the runway to its assigned parking stand, the aircraft’s number two engine ingested a cargo container that had fallen onto a taxiway intersection. The impact caused extensive internal damage to the engine, prompting immediate action from airport authorities and ground crews.
According to India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the container had earlier fallen from a cargo transport tug en route to the baggage handling area. Inspectors were deployed to the scene to recover metal fragments and clear foreign object debris to prevent further hazards to aircraft operations.
The damaged aircraft belongs to Air India’s small but strategically important Airbus A350-900 subfleet. With only six A350s in service, the grounding of one aircraft has a noticeable operational impact. The type is primarily deployed on high-profile long-haul routes linking India to major global destinations.
Air India regularly assigns the A350 to services between Delhi and London Heathrow, New York JFK, Newark, and Dubai. The aircraft is also occasionally used on selected domestic routes during fleet rotations or operational requirements. With one jet out of service, scheduling flexibility becomes more limited.
Industry analysts note that operating a small subfleet carries inherent risks. When an aircraft is grounded unexpectedly, airlines may be forced to deploy older aircraft types or make short-notice equipment changes. For passengers, this can mean aircraft swaps, seat configuration changes, or altered onboard products.
Air India has not yet provided a timeline for returning the damaged A350 to service. Engine repairs following foreign object damage are often complex and time-consuming, particularly for next-generation widebody aircraft. The investigation’s findings are expected to influence future ground handling protocols at Delhi and other fog-prone airports across India.
As India’s aviation sector continues to grow rapidly, incidents like this underline the importance of strict coordination between ground crews, vehicle operators, and air traffic control. Enhanced monitoring during low-visibility operations remains critical to maintaining safety and minimizing disruption at busy international airports.