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A minor fire broke out on board an Air India aircraft shortly after it landed from Hong Kong and passengers began to disembark at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, prompting immediate emergency measures. Though the aircraft sustained damage, all passengers and crew members were reported safe.

 

The incident occurred on Tuesday when flight AI 315, which had arrived from Hong Kong, suffered a fire in its Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) after parking at the gate. According to an Air India spokesperson, the fire led to an automatic shutdown of the APU, in line with built-in safety protocols.

 

“There was some damage to the aircraft. However, passengers and crew members disembarked normally, and are safe. The aircraft has been grounded for further investigations and the regulator has been duly notified,” the airline stated.

 

The aircraft remains under inspection and is currently grounded. Authorities have commenced a technical probe to ascertain the root cause of the APU fire.

 

The APU, a small engine located at the rear of the aircraft, is primarily used to power systems when the main engines are shut down. Malfunctions in the unit are uncommon but can lead to onboard fire incidents when not promptly addressed.

Also read: Air India finishes Boeing checks after fatal Ahmedabad crash

 

This marks the third such incident involving the airline in as many days.

 

On Monday, flight AI 2403 from Delhi to Kolkata, carrying 160 passengers, was forced to abort take-off during its roll due to a technical issue. The cockpit crew acted swiftly in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures, safely disembarking all passengers and subjecting the aircraft to mandatory checks. The flight resumed later in the evening.

 

Earlier the same day, another Air India flight, AI 2744 arriving from Kochi, veered off the runway during its landing at Mumbai airport amidst heavy downpour. Preliminary assessments indicated partial engine damage. No injuries were reported.

 

The recent spate of incidents has raised serious questions about maintenance protocols and operational oversight within the national carrier, even as Air India continues its transition under the Tata Group umbrella.