Air India A350 Suffers Engine Damage After Baggage Container Incident in Fog

New Delhi, January 15, 2026

Air India’s Airbus A350-900, registered VT-JRB, was involved in a ground incident at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after ingesting a baggage container into its right-hand engine while taxiing to the stand.

The aircraft had earlier been operating Flight AI101 from Delhi to New York but returned to origin due to the closure of Iranian airspace, which has forced multiple long-haul diversions and route cancellations across the region.

Low Visibility Operations at Delhi

At the time of the incident, Delhi airport was operating under heavy fog and low-visibility procedures. Reported visibility throughout the day fluctuated between 200 meters and 2,000 meters, with visibility below 1,000 meters during the incident window.

Such conditions significantly increase workload for flight crews, ground handlers, and ramp coordination teams. Taxi operations in low visibility rely heavily on procedural discipline, precise marshalling, and strict equipment positioning to avoid runway and apron hazards.

Incident Details and Preliminary Findings

While taxiing into the bay after returning to Delhi, the aircraft’s right Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine ingested a baggage container positioned on the ramp.

Passengers were safely deboarded and no injuries were reported.

According to preliminary reports, the engine cowling sustained damage, while the engine core is believed to remain intact. The aircraft has been grounded for inspection, with a detailed borescope examination expected to determine the full extent of damage.

Even with an intact core, ingestion incidents typically require extensive inspections and component replacement, resulting in prolonged aircraft downtime.

Financial and Operational Impact

The incident is expected to result in a significant financial hit, most likely processed as an insurance claim. Beyond repair costs, the grounding of a widebody aircraft directly translates into loss of business, network disruption, and cascading schedule delays.

Air India will likely be forced to cancel or consolidate flights, especially given that another A350 in the fleet is already grounded for scheduled maintenance, further tightening widebody availability.

Aircraft Background

• Aircraft type: Airbus A350-900
• Registration: VT-JRB
• Operator: Air India
• Delivery: February 2024
• Entry into service: February 14, 2024
• Engines: 2× Rolls-Royce Trent XWB
• Ferry flight: Toulouse to Delhi on February 3, 2024

VT-JRB is India’s second A350-900, inducted as part of Air India’s widebody modernization and long-haul expansion strategy.

Bigger Picture

This incident underscores two persistent operational realities:

Low-visibility operations magnify ground-handling risks, particularly with large high-bypass engines operating close to ramp equipment.

Irregular operations caused by airspace closures compound pressure on already stretched ground coordination systems.

Air India has not yet issued a detailed statement on repair timelines or return-to-service estimates.