Air India has warned passengers that some long-haul flights may face delays or disruptions after one of its Airbus A350 aircraft was damaged at Delhi airport on Thursday. The problem happened after the aircraft landed and was taxiing on the ground in dense fog.
The airline said the plane hit “a foreign object” while moving towards the parking area. Later, India’s aviation regulator confirmed that the object was a cargo container that had fallen off a vehicle and ended up on a taxiway.
“Further investigation is being carried out,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Photos shared by the regulator on social media showed a visible hole on the inside of the engine’s air intake area.
— DGCA (@DGCAIndia) January 15, 2026
Air India A350 engine damaged at Delhi
The aircraft, registered as VT-JRB, was operating Flight AI101 from New Delhi to New York (JFK). Shortly after take-off, the flight had to return to Delhi because Iranian airspace, which was part of its planned route, was suddenly closed.
After landing safely at Runway 28 at Delhi airport, the aircraft began taxiing towards the apron area. At the taxiway N and N4 intersection, one of the plane’s engines ingested a cargo container. The incident happened around 5.25 am, when visibility at the airport was poor due to dense fog. The container was sucked into the aircraft’s No. 2 engine, causing major damage.
Later in the day, the civil aviation ministry shared more details about how the incident happened. According to the ministry, a tug operated by BWFS was transporting baggage containers to the Baggage Make-up Area of Terminal 3. While crossing the taxiway intersection on the vehicular lane, one of the containers fell onto the taxiway. That container ended up directly in the path of the aircraft and was sucked into the engine as the plane passed.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation to find out how the container ended up on an active taxiway.
What Air India said
Air India confirmed the sequence of events in an official statement. “Air India confirms that Flight AI101, operating from Delhi to New York (JFK), was forced to return to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace, which impacted its planned route. Upon landing in Delhi, the aircraft encountered a foreign object while taxiing in dense fog, resulting in damage to the right engine,” the airline said.
“The aircraft was safely positioned at the designated parking stand, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew on board,” the statement added.
In its full statement, the DGCA said:
“Ground Incident to Air India A350 aircraft VT-JRB at Delhi on 15.01.2026. On 15.01.2026, Air India A350 aircraft, VT-JRB, while operating flight AI101 (Delhi–New York, JFK) was involved in an air turn back due to Iranian Airspace closure. Aircraft landed safely at Runway 28, Delhi.
While taxiing to apron, at taxiway N/N4 intersection, No. 2 engine ingested a cargo container causing substantial damage to engine. The incident occurred around 05:25 IST. The visibility at the time of incident was marginal.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that a BWFS tug transporting few containers to ‘Baggage Makeup Area’ of Terminal 3 crossed this intersection while on the vehicular lane. During crossing, one of the container toppled onto the taxiway intersection. This container got ingested into No. 2 engine of Air India A350 aircraft.
The aircraft remains grounded as the investigation continues, and authorities are now focusing on airside safety, especially during low-visibility conditions.”