A fire broke out in Air India’s flight AI315 from Hong Kong shortly after landing in New Delhi on Tuesday, marking the third serious incident involving the airline in just two days.
The fire erupted in the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit (APU) while passengers were disembarking, sparking renewed concerns over negligence and the competency of India’s civil aviation oversight.
The airline confirmed that the APU automatically shut down as per system design, and all passengers had safely exited the aircraft before the fire was detected. The Airbus A321 has since been grounded for inspection after sustaining damage.
Repeated Air India incidents undermine aviation safety in India
The fire on the Hong Kong flight follows two alarming events within hours of each other on Monday.
A Kochi-Mumbai Air India flight skidded off a rain soaked runway, damaging its engine and airport infrastructure. Later that day, another Air India flight from Delhi to Kolkata was forced to abort takeoff at high speed due to a technical fault. Both aircraft were grounded and pilots de-rostered.
These back to back incidents, along with last month’s deadly crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives, are raising serious questions about Air India’s safety practices and the effectiveness of India’s civil aviation authority.
A preliminary report into the Ahmedabad crash suggested a possible cockpit error involving the fuel control switch, sparking an uproar among pilot unions, who accused investigators of shifting blame without fully probing systemic failures.
The growing list of safety scares involving Air India calls into question the competence of regulators and their ability to enforce strict maintenance, training, and operational standards.
While passengers have so far escaped serious harm in the recent incidents, experts warn that continued negligence may lead to further tragedies if swift reforms are not undertaken.
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