An Air India flight arriving from Hong Kong encountered a significant safety incident shortly after landing at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) on Tuesday. Flight AI 315 experienced a fire in its auxiliary power unit (APU) while passengers were in the process of disembarking from the aircraft.
According to Air India’s official statement, the fire was swiftly contained as the APU system performed as designed, activating an automatic shutdown. The airline confirmed that the incident occurred after the aircraft had safely arrived and parked at the gate. Despite sustaining some damage, all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated without any reported injuries. As a precautionary measure, the aircraft has since been grounded and the relevant aviation regulator has been notified regarding the event.
In response to the fire, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) announced that it has begun an investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.
This fire at IGI Airport follows another busy day for Air India, which reported two other technical issues involving its operations. One incident involved a Kolkata-bound flight that had to abort its takeoff from Delhi due to an undisclosed technical snag. Additionally, flight AI2744, traveling from Kochi to Mumbai, encountered difficulties while landing in heavy rain and veered off the runway. Fortunately, that aircraft successfully taxied to the gate and is now subject to thorough inspections.
In a separate but similarly concerning event, an IndiGo flight traveling from Goa to Indore, carrying 140 passengers, was forced to make an emergency landing at Indore airport due to a landing gear-related technical issue. The aircraft managed to land safely and is currently undergoing mandatory checks to ensure its airworthiness.
The series of incidents raises important questions about flight safety and operational protocols, prompting increased scrutiny from aviation authorities and stakeholders in the aviation industry.
