Two Air India planes were struck by intense turbulence within this week causing damage to the aircraft and even injuring the cabin crew in one of the incidents.
2 Air India flight Suffered Damage Due To Thunderstorm
According to the reports, an Air India flight from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram, via Kochi with 172 passengers on board was hit by the turbulence on Friday. According to the official, while all the passengers were safe and the plane landed safely but the aircraft suffered damages. He further added that the incident has been reported to the airline’s safety department, which has launched a detailed investigation.
After landing at the Cochin airport, the aircraft was grounded for four hours following which it was released for resuming operations.
The official said, “Air India’s flight AI 048 hit air turbulence when it was on the way from Kochi to Trivandrum. Though no injury has been reported, the A321 aircraft suffered minor damages. It was grounded immediately after landing for inspection. Due to this, the return flight was delayed by nearly four hours.”
Meanwhile, another Air India plane from Delhi to Vijayawada encountered turbulence earlier on September 17. According to the reports, the Airbus A320 aircraft got caught in a thunderstorm due to which it suffered damages while the cabin crew sustained injured.
Photos on social media reveal the extent of the damage to the plane. In one of the photos, crew members can be seen being examined, while in another, food trays are seen scattered all over the aisle.
According to the Air India officials, the incident occurred on September 17, but the pilot, as well as the crew members on board, did not report the incident to the airline’s flight safety department as per the norm, following which an investigation was launched.
In both incidents, no injuries to passengers were reported.
An Air India spokesperson said, “In both cases, an investigation is underway. After thorough checking by flight safety department, the aircraft was approved for operation.”
