New Delhi: A serious accident was narrowly avoided on Tuesday evening when an Air India flight arriving from Hong Kong experienced a fire soon after touching down at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The aircraft, Flight AI 315, had just landed and passengers had begun disembarking when the auxiliary power unit (APU) caught fire.
The incident occurred after the flight reached the gate. Smoke was detected as the passengers were in the process of exiting the aircraft. Fortunately, the APU shut down automatically, preventing the situation from escalating.
Confirming the details, an Air India spokesperson stated, “Flight AI 315, operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 22 July 2025, experienced an auxiliary power unit (APU) fire shortly after it had landed and parked at the gate. The incident occurred while passengers had begun disembarking, and the APU was automatically shut down as per system design.”
Despite some damage to the plane, all passengers and crew were reported safe. “There was some damage to the aircraft; however, passengers and crew members disembarked normally and are safe. The aircraft has been grounded for further investigations and the regulator has been duly notified,” the airline added.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) confirmed that emergency teams responded immediately and extinguished the fire without delay. A thorough investigation is now underway to determine the cause.
This incident adds to a string of safety concerns involving Air India aircraft in recent days. On Monday, a flight headed for Kolkata was forced to abort takeoff in Delhi due to a technical fault. Meanwhile, another aircraft, Flight AI2744 from Kochi, veered off the runway at Mumbai airport during heavy rain. An Air India spokesperson said, “The aircraft taxied safely to the gate, and all passengers and crew members have since disembarked. The aircraft has been grounded for checks.”
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