The incident occurred at around 05:25 IST, DGCA said in a statement, adding that visibility at the time was marginal.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has explained the circumstances under which an engine of an Air India aircraft was damaged, forcing the aircraft to be parked at the stand.

Air India’s A350 aircraft, registered as VT-JRB, was operating flight AI101 from Delhi to New York (JFK). However, the aircraft was forced to return to Delhi due to the closure of Iranian airspace.

The aircraft landed safely on Runway 28 at Delhi Airport. As the aircraft was moving on the ground towards the parking area, the No. 2 engine ingested a cargo container, causing substantial damage to the engine.

The incident occurred at around 05:25 IST, DGCA said in a statement, adding that visibility at the time was marginal.

According to preliminary findings, a BWFS tug transporting several cargo containers to the Baggage Make-up Area (BMA) of Terminal 3 crossed the intersection via the vehicular lane. During the crossing, one container toppled onto the taxiway intersection.

This container was subsequently ingested by the No. 2 engine of the Air India A350 aircraft.

After clearing the metal debris, the aircraft was parked at Stand 244.

DGCA stated that further investigation is underway to ascertain detailed circumstances and responsibility.

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