Air India has launched an investigation after two of its planes were involved in security incidents within a span of 24 hours, raising serious questions about the airline’s aviation security standards.
India’s flagship flight AI2802, carrying 171 passengers, made an emergency landing at Delhi Airport after one of its engines caught fire. The cockpit crew received the fire alarm, which was later confirmed to be authentic, prompting the pilots to make an emergency landing.
The Airbus A320 arrived from Bengaluru on Thursday evening. The passengers on board were evacuated safely and no injuries or fatalities have been reported.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
The airline said: “Air India will immediately initiate a full investigation into the cause of the incident in coordination with the relevant regulatory authorities.”
Earlier, a plane of the same carrier was grounded after an alleged tail strike at Bengaluru airport.
Airbus A321 coming from Delhi experienced a tail strike during landing; however, the pilots managed to land the aircraft safely and all passengers and crew disembarked normally.
For the uninitiated, a tail strike occurs when the rear underside of an aircraft makes contact with the runway during takeoff or landing.
These incidents come just a year after Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed, killing 241 of 242 passengers, last June.
