New York-bound Air India flight grounded after engine sucks in baggage container

An Air India flight to New York was grounded after it sucked in a baggage container while taxiing at the Delhi airport, the airline said.

The incident on Wednesday involved Flight AI101, which had returned to India’s national capital earlier in the day after the closure of Iranian airspace due to ongoing protests in the country forced a change in its planned route.

Iran is a key corridor for long-haul flights between India and North America. The aircraft, operated by an Airbus A350, was carrying more than 250 passengers.

The airline said it found that one of its engines was damaged as it landed back in the capital.

“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,” an Air India spokesperson said.

The airline said the aircraft was safely positioned at the designated parking stand and that all passengers and crew were unharmed.

The aircraft has been grounded for a detailed inspection and repairs, which may lead to disruptions on some A350 routes. Air India said it was arranging alternative travel and refunds for affected passengers.

“Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers and is proactively assisting them with alternative travel arrangements and refunds, as preferred. Safety remains the paramount priority for Air India, and the airline is committed to providing support during this time,” the spokesperson added.

The engine damage occurred during taxiing – a phase of flight where aircraft engines operate at low speeds but still generate powerful suction.

Foreign object ingestion, particularly of ground equipment such as baggage containers, can lead to blade damage or internal stress that is not always immediately visible, requiring detailed inspections.

Low-visibility conditions such as dense fog can also increase the risk of such incidents, placing greater responsibility on ground-handling teams to ensure that equipment is properly secured and cleared from aircraft movement areas.

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has launched an investigation to determine how the baggage container came to be in the aircraft’s path during taxiing.

Iran’s sudden airspace closure disrupted several westbound flights from India, forcing airlines to decide mid-flight whether rerouting was operationally feasible. Other Air India services to Newark and New York were cancelled due to the same disruption.

The unrest in Iran started with protests over soaring prices before turning into one of the biggest challenges to the clerical establishment since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The US-based HRANA rights group says it has so far verified the deaths of 2,435 protesters and 153 government-affiliated individuals. US president Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene on behalf of protesters in Iran, where the clerical establishment has cracked down hard on nationwide unrest since 28 December.