Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu visits injured Air India flight passengers, assures assistance
New Delhi, August 4
Air India Flight AI2379, operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft from Phuket to Delhi, experienced a momentary altitude variation during flight on Tuesday. The aircraft subsequently stabilised and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
The flight was carrying 137 passengers, including 3 infants, and 8 crew members (2 pilots and 6 cabin crew).
Immediately upon landing, medical teams attended to all passengers and crew as a precautionary measure. Eight passengers and four cabin crew members have been admitted to hospitals for detailed medical evaluation and treatment. The remaining passengers were provided the necessary assistance and support.
Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu visited Fortis Hospital, accompanied by the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Samir Kumar Sinha, to enquire about the condition of the injured passengers and assure them of all necessary assistance.
Senior officers of the Ministry have also visited Fortis and Medanta Hospitals and are closely coordinating with the hospital authorities and the airline to ensure the best possible medical care and all necessary support to the injured.
The aircraft has been moved to the hangar and the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder have been secured for detailed examination.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a detailed investigation into the occurrence. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA are closely monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, a passenger onboard recounted the ordeal, saying his father was thrown into the air and hit the aircraft's roof, while his mother and two-year-old daughter also suffered injuries, describing the incident as "a rebirth."
"My father was sitting on the aisle seat and was having coffee. He was not wearing a seat belt as there was no mandatory light for it. Suddenly, a big jolt happened and he flew and hit the roof and fell on the floor," the passenger said.
"My mother, who was sitting near the window, had her head smashed into the overhead cabins, which got swollen. She was later treated at the airport by the Medanta team," he said.
"One part of the overhead cabin fell and hit my mother near her left eye and caused swelling there too," the passenger added.
Recounting how his wife and two-year-old daughter were affected, he said, "My wife and my two-year-old daughter also flew in the air and dropped into the passage between the seats. My daughter suffered a head injury and swelling but was also treated by the Medanta team at the airport."
"Since the doctor said that the injuries were minor, we were discharged and left for Chandigarh by cab," he said.
Describing the experience as extremely frightening, the passenger said, "I would say that it was a rebirth for all of us. There were screams and my elder daughter, who is five years old, was so scared, as were we all. But we stayed put in Waheguru and we landed safely."
Praising the flight crew, he said, "The pilot did a good job in helping us calm down. The crew was very helpful."
Calling for an investigation into the incident, the passenger said, "A thorough inquiry should be done to improve air safety for all."
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is absolutely horrifying! That poor family went through so much - the father hitting the roof, the mother's swollen head, and the little ones being tossed around. It seems like the crew handled things professionally, but why was there no mandatory seatbelt sign on? Airlines need to be stricter about passenger safety. Also, it's heartening to see Ram Mohan Naidu personally visit the hospital - that's the kind of accountability we need from our leaders. Kudos to the medical teams too for their quick response! ✈️
As someone who works in aviation, these "momentary altitude variations" are usually turbulence events, but the severity here seems unusual for a modern A320. Good that the flight recorders are secured already - we need to know what happened in the cockpit and what data the FDR captured. The passenger's account of his dad flying to the roof suggests a sudden, significant drop. It's concerning that the seatbelt sign wasn't on, though honestly, even with it on, turbulence can catch you off guard. The aviation industry needs to learn from this and maybe reconsider seatbelt policies for all flights, not just when signs are lit. Looking forward to the DGCA investigation report.
Really glad to see the minister taking this seriously and visiting the injured personally. 🙏 It shows that our leaders care about the common person's safety. But it's also a wake-up call for DGCA - we need better enforcement of safety protocols. The passenger's story is heartbreaking - no one should have to go through something like that, especially with a two-year-old on board. Airlines should ensure seatbelt signs are on at the slightest hint of turbulence, especially now with changing weather patterns. Still, props to the pilot for safely landing the plane - that's what training is for!
The fact that the minister visited the hospital personally tells me this is being taken seriously. This could've been so much worse, thank
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