New Delhi: Three Air India narrowbody aircraft suffered damage at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday after strong winds and heavy rain caused ground support equipment to break loose
and crash into parked planes.
The incident occurred around 4.40 pm at aircraft parking bays near Terminal 2 when sudden adverse weather conditions swept across the airport. According to airport officials, powerful gusts and intense rainfall dislodged a step ladder and several trestles belonging to Air India and IndiGo ground handling and engineering teams. The equipment reportedly rolled across the tarmac and collided with parked aircraft.
Visuals and photographs from the airport showed damaged ground equipment and aircraft undergoing inspection after the incident. A video that has gone viral on the internet shows the stepladder drifting towards the aircraft in the storm. Airport staffers can be seen running to stop it from making a collision.
2 Aircraft Likely To Return To Operations Soon
All three affected Air India Airbus A320 aircraft were immediately withdrawn from service for detailed technical inspections and repairs. Officials said two of the aircraft are likely to return to operations within a few days, while one plane sustained substantial damage and may remain grounded for a longer period. The aircraft suffered major damage near the stairwell access area, necessitating extensive safety checks before it can be cleared for operations.
In a statement, DIAL said no prior weather warning regarding the sudden storm had been issued by Air Traffic Control to either the airport operator or airlines. Such alerts typically enable airlines and ground-handling agencies to secure equipment and take precautionary measures before severe weather arrives.
Airport sources said several pieces of ground support equipment were displaced by the strong winds, with some suffering extensive damage themselves. An airline source told PTI that the impact of the storm was not limited to Air India aircraft alone and that planes belonging to other operators were also affected by the adverse weather conditions at the airport.
The latest occurrence comes months after an Air India Airbus A350 was damaged at Delhi airport after reportedly ingesting an unsecured baggage container while taxiing in dense fog, raising fresh questions about ground safety procedures.
No injuries to passengers, crew members or ground personnel were reported in Sunday's incident. Authorities are expected to conduct a detailed assessment of the damage and review operational procedures following the weather-related mishap.
