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What led to Bengaluru-Delhi Air India flight’s full emergency at IGI Airport
The flight, AI 2802, an Airbus A320 carrying 171 passengers, landed safely on runway 29R at around 9.30 pm.
An Air India flight from Bengaluru to Delhi declared a ‘full emergency’ at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday night after the cockpit crew received a fire warning from one of the aircraft’s engines during the final approach for landing.
The flight, AI 2802, an Airbus A320 carrying 171 passengers, landed safely on runway 29R at around 9.30 pm.
Also read | Air India flight declares full emergency at Delhi airport, engine fire suspected
After landing, the aircraft was towed away and runway operations resumed at 10:18 pm.
What happened?
According to Air India, the emergency was declared after the cockpit crew received an alert indicating a possible engine fire while the aircraft was approaching Delhi airport. The airline later confirmed that the warning turned out to be true.
In a statement, the airline said the crew followed all standard operating procedures before safely landing the aircraft. Passengers and crew members later disembarked normally.
“Air India is immediately initiating a full investigation into the cause of the incident 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,” the airline said.
In an earlier statement, an Air India spokesperson had said, “We are aware of an incident involving flight AI2802 operating from Bengaluru to Delhi on 21 May 2026. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew are safe.”
“We are currently gathering additional information and are working closely with the relevant authorities. Further updates will be shared as more details become available.”
Second Air India incident reported on the same day
The emergency landing came hours after another Air India aircraft was grounded following a tail-strike incident at Bengaluru airport earlier on Thursday.
The aircraft involved in that case was an A321 operating flight AI2651 from Delhi to Bengaluru with 181 passengers on board. The airline said the aircraft experienced a tail strike during landing and was later withdrawn for detailed inspection.
An Air India spokesperson said the aircraft “experienced a tail-strike during landing”. The spokesperson added that the plane landed safely and all passengers and crew members disembarked normally.
(With inputs from agencies)
