New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Thursday detailed the sequence of events behind a rare and serious ground incident at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), in which an Air India Airbus A350 aircraft suffered engine damage after ingesting a cargo container while taxiing. The incident occurred after the aircraft returned to Delhi shortly after take-off due to the sudden closure of Iranian airspace amid escalating regional tensions.

The aircraft, operating Air India flight AI101 from Delhi to New York (JFK), had departed from IGIA at around 2 am on Thursday. However, the flight was forced to turn back after Iran unexpectedly shut its airspace, rendering the planned flight path unusable. The aircraft landed safely back in Delhi in the early morning hours.

According to the DGCA, the incident occurred at approximately 5:25 am, while the aircraft was taxiing toward its designated parking stand following the precautionary return. At the time, weather conditions at the airport were challenging, with dense fog significantly reducing visibility.

In a statement shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the DGCA said a preliminary investigation had revealed that a cargo container lying unattended on the taxiway intersection was sucked into the aircraft’s No. 2 engine, causing substantial damage.

“The visibility at the time of the incident was marginal,” the regulator said. “Preliminary investigation has revealed that a BWFS tug transporting a few containers to the Baggage Makeup Area of Terminal 3 crossed this intersection while on the vehicular lane.”

The DGCA explained that during this movement, one of the cargo containers toppled onto the taxiway at the N/N4 intersection. As the Airbus A350 was taxiing through the same area en route to the apron, the loose container came into the path of the aircraft and was ingested by the right-side engine.

“While taxiing to the apron, at taxiway N/N4 intersection, No. 2 engine ingested a cargo container causing substantial damage to the engine,” the statement said. “The incident occurred around 05:25 IST.”

Airport ground staff subsequently cleared metal debris from the taxiway, after which the aircraft was parked at stand 244. No injuries to passengers or crew were reported, and the aircraft was shut down safely following the incident.

The DGCA has launched a detailed investigation to determine responsibility, examine adherence to standard operating procedures, and assess whether lapses in ground handling, coordination, or safety protocols contributed to the incident. The regulator is expected to scrutinise the movement of ground vehicles, the securing of cargo containers, and communication between air traffic control, apron control, and ground handling agencies during low-visibility operations.

The episode has once again drawn attention to the risks associated with ground operations at busy international airports, particularly during adverse weather conditions such as fog, which is common at Delhi airport during winter months. While aircraft engine ingestion incidents involving birds are relatively common and accounted for in aircraft design, ingestion of large foreign objects such as cargo containers is extremely rare and potentially serious.

Air India, in a separate statement, confirmed the sequence of events and said it was working closely with regulators and airport authorities. “Air India confirms that Flight AI101, operating from Delhi to New York (JFK), was forced to return to Delhi shortly after take-off due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace, which impacted its planned route,” an airline spokesperson said.

The airline added that the aircraft has been grounded for a thorough technical inspection and necessary repairs. “The aircraft is currently grounded for a detailed investigation and required repairs, which may cause potential disruptions on select A350 routes,” the spokesperson said.

Air India also said it was assisting affected passengers with alternative travel arrangements or refunds, depending on individual preferences. Passengers on the New York-bound flight were reportedly accommodated on other services or offered rebooking options.

Air India currently operates a fleet of six Airbus A350 aircraft, deployed on both domestic and long-haul international routes, including services to Dubai, Singapore, London, New York, and Newark. The temporary grounding of one aircraft could therefore have a cascading impact on the airline’s A350 schedule, especially on high-demand long-haul routes.

The incident also unfolded against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Iran’s decision to close its airspace early Thursday followed widespread unrest within the country and rising fears of potential military escalation involving the United States. Tehran has warned that US military bases in the region would be considered legitimate targets in the event of an attack, prompting several airlines to reroute or suspend flights through Iranian airspace.

For international carriers operating long-haul flights between Asia and North America or Europe, Iranian airspace is a critical corridor. Sudden closures can force airlines to divert, return to origin airports, or take significantly longer alternative routes, leading to operational disruptions and increased fuel costs.

In this case, Air India opted to return the aircraft to Delhi shortly after departure, a decision that aviation experts say would have been driven by considerations such as fuel planning, crew duty time limitations, and the availability of suitable alternate routes.

While the return itself was uneventful, the subsequent ground incident has raised questions about coordination and safety oversight during early morning operations at IGIA, one of the world’s busiest airports. Industry observers note that ground vehicle movements and cargo handling require heightened caution during low-visibility conditions, with strict protocols in place to prevent foreign object debris (FOD) from entering active aircraft movement areas.

The DGCA is expected to issue further findings once the investigation progresses, including any corrective actions or penalties if violations are established. Such incidents typically prompt reviews of airport operating procedures, additional training for ground staff, and stricter enforcement of FOD prevention measures.

For now, Air India’s priority remains passenger assistance and restoring normal operations, while aviation authorities focus on understanding how a cargo container came to be in the aircraft’s path and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future. The outcome of the investigation is likely to be closely watched across the aviation sector, given its implications for ground safety at major hubs during adverse weather conditions.