Air India flight carrying 171 passengers makes emergency landing after ‘engine fire’

Air India flight AI2802 declared a full emergency at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Thursday after a suspected engine fire was detected on approach to Delhi. The Airbus A320 aircraft was carrying 171 passengers, all of whom disembarked safely.

An Air India aircraft travelling from Bengaluru to Delhi was forced to declare a full emergency at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Thursday (May 21).

The service – AI2802 – announced the emergency due to a suspected engine fire and touched down safely on runway 29R at Delhi airport at approximately 9.30pm local time, following which the runway was closed for roughly 50 minutes.

The Airbus A320 was carrying 171 passengers. In a statement, the carrier revealed that during the aircraft’s final descent into Delhi, the flight deck crew received a fire alert from one of the engines – a warning subsequently confirmed as accurate.

“Air India is immediately initiating a full investigation into the incident’s cause, in coordination with the relevant regulatory authorities. We are committed to sharing further verified information as soon as it becomes available. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority,” it added.

Air India’s statement went on to say that the crew adhered to all standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft down safely at Delhi airport.

All passengers and crew members are unharmed and disembarked as normal, according to Hindustan Times. The incident occurs just hours after another Air India flight, AI2651, carrying 181 passengers experienced a tail strike while landing at Bengaluru airport.

The aircraft was subsequently grounded for thorough inspection. A spokesperson confirmed the plane touched down safely and all passengers and crew disembarked without incident.

This follows Air India’s announcement that it had been compelled to cut its international flights from May through July this year owing to soaring jet fuel costs and restricted airspace.

No-fly zones resulting from the Middle East conflict have obliged the airline to adopt lengthier routes for numerous international destinations, leading to heightened fuel consumption.

Air India Group is estimated to have sustained losses exceeding 22,000 crore (£1.7million) in the financial year ending March 31, 2026.

Consequently, Air India will reduce services to Europe, North America, Australia and Singapore in June. Air India’s departing CEO and managing director, Campbell Wilson, in a communication to staff, explained that numerous international flights had become unprofitable and maintaining operations would only escalate losses further.

“We have reduced some flying for April and May… A massive rise in jet fuel prices, together with airspace closures and longer flying routes, has caused many of our international flights to become unprofitable to operate,” Mr Wilson informed staff.

Earlier this month, he noted that the situation continued to be “extremely challenging,” leaving them with “no choice” but to further cut back schedules for June and July, reports the Express.

The year has been anything but smooth sailing for Air India. On June 12 in 2025, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Flight 171, destined for Gatwick Airport, crashed into the student hostels of the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College just 32 seconds after takeoff.

Of the 12 crew members and 230 passengers on board, only one passenger survived. On the ground, 19 people lost their lives and a further 67 were seriously injured.

A preliminary report released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on July 12 suggested that the catastrophic crash was due to both engines losing thrust after their fuel control switches were moved from RUN to CUTOFF three seconds post-takeoff. The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and the final report is yet to be published.

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