Air India A350 Engine Damaged by Cargo at Delhi Airport

An Air India Airbus A350 aircraft sustained damage to its right engine after ingesting a stray cargo container while taxiing at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning, prompting warnings of potential flight disruptions on key long-haul routes.

The incident occurred around 5:25 a.m. local time amid dense fog conditions. The plane, operating as Flight AI101 from New Delhi to New York JFK, had departed earlier but returned shortly after takeoff due to Iran's temporary closure of its airspace. The closure, which lasted nearly five hours, stemmed from heightened regional tensions involving the United States and Iran, leading multiple airlines to cancel, reroute, or delay international services. Iran has since reopened its airspace.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation regulator, the damage resulted from a cargo container that had toppled from a ground vehicle and fallen onto one of the airport's taxiways. The container was sucked into the engine's air intake as the aircraft taxied after landing, causing visible structural harm inside the engine cowling. Images released by the DGCA illustrated the extent of the...