NEW DELHI: A total of 17 people, including four cabin crew members, were injured on an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi on Tuesday after the aircraft suffered a sudden loss of altitude while cruising above 36,000 feet.
The Airbus A320neo, carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, later landed safely at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The aircraft has since been grounded, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident.
One cabin crew member sustained serious injuries after the aircraft suddenly dropped about 300 feet, a DGCA source said. The aircraft is also believed to have suffered substantial damage, though Air India has not disclosed details.
Flight AI2379 took off from Phuket at 8.27 am (local time) and landed at Delhi’s Terminal 3 at 11.07 am, 43 minutes ahead of schedule.
A DGCA official attributed the incident involving the aircraft, registered as VT-EXO, to a “suspected transient technical fault.”
According to a source at Delhi airport, the incident occurred outside Indian airspace, likely around 10.30 am IST.
“The airport received information that several passengers would require medical assistance upon landing. Ambulances were kept on standby. The injured were initially treated at the airport’s Medanta medical centre before being shifted to Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj and a nearby specialised spinal injury centre,” the source said.
Severe turbulence was initially believed to have caused the incident. However, statements issued later by various agencies said the exact cause would be determined after the inquiry, raising the possibility that a technical fault may have contributed to the sudden altitude loss.
A passenger told TNIE that the pilot initially announced an emergency landing at Lucknow but later informed passengers that the flight would continue to Delhi, where better medical facilities were available.
In a statement, Air India said, “Air India flight AI2379 operating from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden loss of altitude during cruise. After the momentary event, the aircraft continued normally and landed safely in Delhi at 11.07 am. The Airbus A320neo aircraft was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members. Of these, 13 passengers and four crew members sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for medical evaluation.”
By 6.50 pm, five passengers had been discharged, while the remaining injured continued to receive treatment.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the flight “experienced a momentary altitude variation during flight. The aircraft subsequently stabilised and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.”
It said medical teams attended to all passengers and crew immediately after landing as a precaution.
“Eight passengers and four cabin crew members have been admitted to hospitals for detailed medical evaluation and treatment. All admitted passengers and crew members are stable and are receiving adequate medical care and attention,” the ministry said.
It added that the aircraft had been moved to the hangar and that the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) had been secured for detailed examination. The DGCA has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the occurrence.
