Storm damages three Air India jets at Delhi Airport

Dhaka: Three Air India narrowbody aircraft were damaged at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi after a sudden storm swept through the airport on June 7.

The incident occurred at around 4:40 pm local time, near Terminal 2 parking stands. Strong winds and heavy rain pushed ground support equipment into the parked aircraft, forcing the airline to ground all three jets for inspections and repairs.

The aircraft were not carrying passengers at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.

All three jets were Airbus A320 family aircraft. One is expected to require longer repairs, while the other two may return to service sooner.

The ground equipment involved reportedly included a step ladder and trestles positioned near the parking stands. Reports differed on ownership, with some sources indicating equipment linked to both Air India Engineering and IndiGo Engineering moved during the storm. IndiGo, however, disputed that its equipment struck any aircraft.

Local reports also indicated that no advance weather alert had been issued to the airport operator or airlines before conditions deteriorated. Aviation authorities have yet to independently confirm this.

A video circulating on social media platforms showed heavy rain and strong winds sweeping across the airport, with poor visibility underlining how rapidly the storm intensified.

Air India has not publicly confirmed the full extent of the damage. Local reports suggested aircraft operated by other carriers may also have been affected, though this remains unconfirmed.