New Delhi, June 8 -- Three Air India Airbus A320 aircraft parked at Terminal 2 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport sustained damage on Sunday after strong winds and heavy rain caused ground support equipment and foreign object debris (FOD) to strike the aircraft, prompting aviation authorities to launch an investigation.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the incident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. on June 7 during adverse weather conditions that affected operations at the airport.
The aircraft were parked at Terminal 2 when two pieces of ground equipment, positioned at adjacent stands and nearby areas, were displaced by powerful winds and collided with two different aircraft, causing damage at multiple locations.
A third aircraft suffered damage to its right-hand sliding window after being hit by foreign object debris carried by the strong gusts.
Airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) confirmed that all three aircraft were immediately withdrawn from service for detailed inspection and maintenance.
The operator stated that the displaced ground equipment belonged to Air India Engineering and IndiGo and moved from their designated positions due to the sudden deterioration in weather conditions.
DIAL also said that no weather warning had been issued by Air Traffic Control regarding the abrupt change in weather that led to the incident. Air India declined to comment officially on the matter.
However, an airline source indicated that the severe weather impacted aircraft belonging to other operators as well. The source added that while two of the three damaged Air India aircraft are expected to return to service shortly after repairs and inspections, the third aircraft may require more extensive maintenance before resuming operations.
The incident has once again highlighted the vulnerability of parked aircraft and ground equipment during sudden weather events at major airports.
Aviation experts note that strong winds can pose significant risks to aircraft on the ground if equipment is not adequately secured.
The DGCA has grounded all three aircraft pending inspection and has initiated a formal investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the damage and assess whether additional safety measures are required to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.