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Bangkok-bound Air India flight delayed by over five hours in Mumbai due to hay stuck in aircraft's wings
The aircraft was eventually cleared for operation after the issue was attended to by the airline, Air India said in a statement.
A Bangkok-bound Air India flight was delayed by over five hours in Mumbai on June 25, due to some hay that was found stuck in the aircraft's wings, the airline said.
According to the data accessed by PTI news agency from flight tracking website flightradar24.com, AI 2354 – which was a Airbus A320Neo plane – was scheduled to depart from Mumbai airport early at 7. 45 am. However, the flight departed at around 1 am.
This was confirmed by the airline in a statement, which said, "AI2354 scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Bangkok on 25 June 2025 was held back as some hay was found stuck below the left wing of the operating aircraft."
Following the issue, the passengers were asked to disembark from the plane and were served refreshments.
The aircraft was eventually cleared for operation after the issue was attended to by the airline, the statement added. However, it said that the source of hay stuck in the wings could not be identified.
The statement said that given that the flight crew came under the regulatory flight duty time limitations, the plane could not take off immediately after the incident. The flight departed after a fresh crew reported, Air India stated.
DGCA warning to airports, airlines over safety violations
The incident comes a couple of days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted surprise surveillance checks at key airports of the country. During the inspections, the regulatory authority came across safety violations, following which it ordered airports and airlines to execute corrective measures for the same within a week's time.
The safety review came after the tragic crash of the London-bound Air India flight in Ahmedabad, which claimed 270 lives. During its intensive night and day surveillance of the Delhi and Mumbai airports, the DGCA found systemic lapses in aircraft maintenance, ground operations, as well as aircraft infrastructure.
