Air India flight catches fire during disembarkation in Delhi; all passengers safe

In a tense moment at Delhi airport, an Air India flight arriving from Hong Kong caught fire shortly after landing while passengers were disembarking. Thankfully, all onboard were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.

Fire Breaks Out After Landing

Flight AI 315 had just parked at the gate when its auxiliary power unit (APU) caught fire. According to an Air India spokesperson, the APU, a small engine that powers onboard systems when the main engines are off automatically shut down as per design after the fire was detected. The aircraft suffered some damage and has since been grounded for a detailed investigation. Authorities have been notified.

Other Incidents on the Same Day

The day proved challenging for Air India operations. Earlier, a Delhi-Kolkata flight (AI 2403) carrying 160 passengers aborted take-off at Delhi airport after detecting a technical issue during the take-off roll. The crew halted the aircraft in line with Standard Operating Procedures. Passengers were safely disembarked, and the flight departed later in the evening after mandatory checks.

In Mumbai, heavy rains contributed to another scare as Flight AI 2744 from Kochi veered off the runway during landing. Though visuals showed partial damage to one engine, all passengers disembarked safely under protocol.

Safety First

While no injuries were reported in any of the incidents, the sequence of events has raised concerns about operational safety amid challenging weather and technical issues. Investigations are underway to prevent future mishaps.