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One of the engines of an Air India aircraft was damaged after it sucked in a cargo container at Delhi airport on Thursday, news agency PTI reported.
The Delhi to New York flight had to return to Delhi soon after take-off due to an unrelated incident. The wide-body A350 plane’s right engine was damaged and the aircraft has been grounded for a thorough investigation.
Disruptions likely on select routes
Some Air India flights on select routes may be disrupted as the A350 plane is out of operation undergoing a probe.
What Air India said
The Tata Group-owned airline confirmed the incident and said that “Flight AI101, operating from Delhi to New York (JFK), was forced to return to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace, which impacted its planned route”.
It was after the plane landed in Delhi and was taxiing amid dense fog that it “encountered a foreign object… resulting in damage to the right engine”.
“The aircraft was safely positioned to the designated parking stand, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew on board,” the airline said in a statement.
Refunds, travel arrangements being made
The airline expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers, and said it is proactively assisting them with alternative travel arrangements and refunds, as preferred.
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Flights cancelled due to Iran airspace closure
Air India and IndiGo on Thursday cancelled some overseas flights as the Iranian airspace closure impacted services.
Flights of Air India to the US and Europe, and services of IndiGo to CIS countries, Europe, and Turkey have been impacted, according to officials.
The two airlines, as well as SpiceJet, issued advisories saying that the airspace closure will impact some flights.
With inputs from PTI
