Abhijith Ganapavaram

A preliminary Airbus analysis found that an Air India A320 briefly lost elevator and aileron control after all three hydraulic systems registered losses during a roughly 300-foot drop on a Phuket–Delhi flight. The aircraft recovered and landed safely, though 24 people were injured. Investigators have not established the root cause and are conducting further technical checks with assistance from Airbus and France’s BEA. The captain reportedly tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory test, but no link has been established between that result and the incident. Air India has responded by introducing mandatory substance testing for all pilots.

Air India will introduce mandatory substance testing for all pilots, including those at Air India Express, after the captain of an Airbus A320neo involved in a flight from Phuket to Delhi tested positive for cannabis. The aircraft briefly lost about 300 feet of altitude over Odisha on 4 August, injuring at least 24 people, while investigators examine allegations that the captain was not fully in control. India's Ministry of Civil Aviation has summoned CEO Campbell Wilson, as the airline faces broader scrutiny following a fatal Boeing 787 crash in 2025.

An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi lost about 300 feet in altitude on 4 August before stabilising and landing safely. A post-flight psychoactive-substance screening of the captain produced an initial result requiring confirmatory laboratory testing, although the substance was not disclosed. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation grounded both crew members, while the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau classified the incident as serious and opened an investigation. Air India said it had not been given the test results and would continue cooperating with regulators.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is nearing the analysis phase of its inquiry into the June 2025 Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people and left one survivor. A cockpit voice recorder transcript has been prepared, while engine-monitoring data and organisational-factor assessments remain pending; a draft final report is expected around October. The recorded sequence shows both engine fuel cutoff switches moving from RUN to CUTOFF shortly after take-off, followed by a Mayday call and the aircraft’s loss of altitude. The article also outlines the experience and backgrounds of captain Sumeet Sabharwal and first officer Clive Kunder, while noting the captain’s family has sought an independent investigation into causes beyond possible pilot action.

A Zurich-bound Swiss International Air Lines flight from Delhi aborted takeoff after one of its Airbus A330 engines reportedly failed and caught fire. The crew initiated an emergency evacuation, during which six passengers were injured and taken to hospital. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport declared an emergency, but runway operations later resumed and other flights continued on schedule.

Six passengers were injured during an emergency evacuation after Swiss International Air Lines flight LX147 from Delhi to Zurich aborted takeoff when an engine reportedly failed and caught fire. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport declared an emergency, but runway operations later resumed and other flights remained on schedule. The injured passengers were taken to hospital, and the airline had not immediately responded to requests for comment.

Dubai has limited foreign airlines to one daily flight per carrier until 31 May, citing disruption linked to the Iran crisis. Indian carriers, including IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet, are expected to be particularly affected because they had scheduled the most Dubai flights. The Federation of Indian Airlines is urging India to intervene and consider reciprocal restrictions against Dubai-based airlines, while Indian carriers face additional pressure from high fuel prices and longer routes caused by Pakistani airspace restrictions.

Dubai has limited foreign airlines to one daily round trip to Dubai International Airport or Al Maktoum International Airport through 31 May, citing capacity constraints linked to the Iran crisis. India is expected to be hit hardest because it was Dubai International’s largest passenger market and Indian carriers had scheduled hundreds of flights during April and May. The Federation of Indian Airlines has asked New Delhi to press Dubai to lift the restrictions and has suggested reciprocal action against Emirates and flydubai. IndiGo says the limits have significantly constrained its operations and left aircraft capacity underused, while other international carriers have cancelled Dubai services and shifted toward alternative Asia-Europe routes.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation fined IndiGo a record $2.45 million (£1.8m) after the airline cancelled about 4,500 flights in December, stranding tens of thousands of passengers. An investigation attributed the disruption primarily to poor pilot roster planning and inadequate operational buffers after stricter pilot rest rules took effect. IndiGo, which controls about 65% of India’s domestic market, was also ordered to provide a $5.51 million bank guarantee, while several executives were warned and operations chief Jason Herter was removed from operational duties. CEO Pieter Elbers received a caution over inadequate oversight. The cancellations led the government to relax some pilot night-duty rules temporarily, prompting criticism from pilot unions and safety advocates, while competition authorities review potential antitrust violations.

Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, whose son Captain Sumeet Sabharwal died in the Air India crash that killed 260 people, has joined the Federation of Indian Pilots in asking India’s Supreme Court for an independent investigation. The proposed panel would include aviation experts and be overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge. Sabharwal alleges that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau focused excessively on the deceased pilots after evidence suggested the Boeing 787’s engine fuel switches were moved to cutoff shortly after takeoff. The government has defended the existing investigation as thorough, while the court has not yet agreed to hear the case.

An Air India Airbus A320 operating flight AI2744 from Kochi veered off Mumbai International Airport’s runway while landing in heavy rain. The incident reportedly involved three burst tyres, damaged the underside of an engine and caused minor runway damage, but all passengers and crew disembarked and a secondary runway maintained operations. The aircraft was grounded for inspection. The incident adds to intense scrutiny of Air India following the Ahmedabad Boeing 787 crash that killed 260 people, while the airline also faces regulatory attention over alleged non-compliance involving Air India Express and has received nine show-cause notices from Indian aviation authorities.