DGCA launches probe into damage to Air India planes at Delhi airport
New Delhi, June 8
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Monday that it is investigating the matter in which three aircraft of Air India parked at Delhi airport were damaged due to adverse weather conditions on Sunday.
The civil aviation regulator said the planes have been grounded for inspection and maintenance.
"On 7th June 2026, three Air India A320 aircraft parked at the Delhi Airport Terminal II were damaged by ground equipment and foreign object debris during adverse weather conditions around 16:30 IST," the DGCA statement said.
Due to strong winds, two pieces of ground equipment positioned at adjacent stands and in nearby areas moved from their locations and hit two different aircraft at various positions, causing damage. In addition, the right-hand sliding window of another aircraft sustained damage due to the impact of foreign object debris, the statement added.
According to Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the incident -- which took place on Sunday at Terminal 2 after strong winds accompanied by heavy rainfall -- caused ground handling equipment positioned near parked aircraft to shift from its location and collide with three Air India narrow-body aircraft.
Following the incident, all three aircraft were withdrawn from service to undergo detailed inspections and repairs.
In addition, DIAL said the displaced equipment belonged to Air India Engineering Services and IndiGo's ground handling operations.
Weather conditions deteriorated rapidly and unexpectedly, and neither the airport operator nor airlines had received any advance warning regarding the sudden weather change from Air Traffic Control (ATC), according to airport officials.
Reports claim that an aircraft belonging to other operators was also affected because of the severe weather conditions.
Meanwhile, two of the three affected Air India aircraft are expected to return to operations soon, while repairs on the third aircraft may take longer.
The incident comes amid increasing operational challenges posed by sudden weather disruptions, particularly during periods of intense rainfall and strong winds.
Delhi-NCR has witnessed a sudden change in weather as rainfall lashed several parts of the region. During the day, visuals from areas around the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport showed rain sweeping across multiple localities near the airport.
In addition, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast another spell of very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching up to 60 km per hour on June 11 and 12.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who flies often for work, this is quite concerning. Delhi airport is supposed to be world-class. The fact that ATC didn't give advance warning about sudden weather change is also worrying. Hope the investigation leads to better coordination between IMD and the airport to prevent such surprises in the future.
🛩️ Yikes! That's a lot of damage from some gusty winds. But let's be real, this kind of thing happens all over the world during extreme weather. At least they grounded the planes immediately for checks—safety first, no shortcuts. Kudos to the ground crew for their quick response despite the chaos.
Looks like the monsoon season is starting early and hitting hard. But I'm a bit surprised that ground equipment wasn't better secured, especially with weather warnings out for the region. Airlines and airport operators need to step up their game—these are expensive aircraft we're talking about.
Typical Indian weather—unpredictable as ever. 😅 But seriously, hope DGCA's probe is thorough. It's good to see they're acting fast, but preventing future incidents requires better infrastructure, like more secure tie-downs or protective barriers for equipment during storms. Else we'll keep seeing these headlines.
This is a reminder that climate change is making weather more extreme. Strong winds and sudden storms are becoming more common, and airports need to adapt. Glad no one was hurt at least, and the planes are being repaired. Let's hope the investigation leads to some solid recommendations.
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