India’s aviation watchdog has launched an investigation after an Air India plane’s engine sucked in a cargo container while taxiing at the Delhi airport.

No-one was hurt, but the aircraft’s engine was damaged and it has been grounded for repairs.

The New York-bound Airbus A350 had returned to Delhi shortly after take-off on Thursday after Iran temporarily closed its airspace, forcing airlines to reroute flights.

After landing safely, the aircraft had left the runway and was taxiing to the parking bay with passengers on board when the cargo container was sucked into its right engine. Visibility was “marginal” due to dense fog at the time, the aviation regulator said.

There were around 240 passengers in the aircraft when the container was sucked in, a source from Air India told the BBC. The exact number of crew members could not be ascertained but the source added it could be between six and eight people.

According to India’s ministry of civil aviation, the incident occurred on Thursday around 05:25 local time (23:55 GMT on Wednesday) as the aircraft was taxiing towards the apron area, where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded and refuelled.

The cargo container had accidentally fallen from a ground vehicle “onto the taxiway intersection”, it added.

An Air India spokesperson added that the container fell after a wheel came off a cart that was being towed by a vehicle used to move luggage and cargo around the airport. The vehicle operator noticed the aircraft taxiing in and left the area with the remaining cargo.

“However, the container which fell was left behind and it got ingested into the No. 2 engine of the aircraft,” Air India added.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said metal debris was later cleared from the taxiway, and the aircraft was towed and parked at a designated stand. It added that it has launched a detailed investigation into the incident.

Photos shared by DGCA on X show damage to the aircraft’s engine casing and fan blades, as well as debris lying on the taxiway.

The incident adds to scrutiny around ground safety at India’s busy airports.

In June last year, the DGCA flagged significant safety lapses at major Indian airports and airlines, finding issues such as faded runway markings, faulty simulator training, crew fatigue, inadequate maintenance and unauthorised cockpit access.

Air India has also warned of “potential disruptions on select A350 routes” as the aircraft is grounded.

Air India operates six Airbus A350 aircraft on long-haul routes, including services to London and New York, Reuters reported. The airline hasn’t specified which routes might be affected.

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