An Air India flight from Hong Kong to Delhi, AI-315, experienced a fire in its auxiliary power unit (APU) shortly after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The fire was detected while passengers were in the process of disembarking. According to the airline, the aircraft’s automated systems shut down the APU immediately upon detecting the fire.
Fortunately, all passengers and crew were able to exit the Airbus A321 safely, and no injuries were reported. However, the aircraft sustained “some damage” due to the incident and has since been grounded. The airline has informed the Director-General of Civil Aviation, and an investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the fire.
This incident adds to a growing list of operational concerns for Air India. Just last month, a far more serious event occurred when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed only 32 seconds after take-off on June 12, raising alarms about safety standards across the airline’s fleet.
