NEW DELHI, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- An engine of Air India's new Airbus A350 on Thursday was damaged after it sucked in a cargo container while it was taxiing at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, officials said.
All the over 300 passengers on board the plane are safe.
The flight AI 101 from Delhi to New York had to return to Delhi due to the sudden closure of Iranian airspace. However, while taxiing at the parking bay of IGIA, an improperly secured container was sucked into one of its engines.
According to the officials, the aircraft has been grounded for repairs.
The incident occurred at around 05:25 a.m. local time, when visibility was marginal, according to a statement issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's civil aviation watchdog.
The DGCA said preliminary investigation has revealed that a BWFS tug transporting a few containers to the baggage makeup area of Terminal 3 crossed this intersection while on the vehicular lane. ■
