Fire Breaks Out in Air India Bus at Delhi Airport

Incident at Delhi Airport

New Delhi, Oct 28: A bus operated by AI SATS, a ground-handling service for Air India, ignited near bay number 32 at Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport on Tuesday morning.

Reports indicate that the fire occurred just a short distance from an aircraft.

Fortunately, there were no passengers on the bus when the fire broke out. The airport's fire response team acted swiftly to control the blaze, and there were no reported injuries or damage to nearby aircraft.

In response to a passenger's inquiry on the social media platform X, Delhi Airport stated, “A bus operated by one of the Ground handlers caught fire around noon today. Our expert ARFF team on the ground immediately swung into action and extinguished the fire within a couple of minutes.”

They further clarified, “The bus was stationary and fully vacant at the time of the incident. There were no injuries or casualties. All operations continue to be normal. The safety of our passengers and staff remains paramount to us.”

However, a request for comment sent to AI SATS went unanswered at the time of writing.

This incident follows a series of operational challenges faced by Air India. Earlier this month, a flight bound for the US from Mumbai to Newark had to return shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue.

On October 22, Air India reported that the crew of flight AI191, operating from Mumbai to Newark, made a precautionary return to Mumbai due to a suspected technical problem.

“The flight landed safely back in Mumbai, and the aircraft is undergoing necessary inspections,” an Air India spokesperson confirmed.

In another instance, a flight from Milan to Delhi faced a technical issue, leaving over 250 passengers stranded abroad until the airline arranged a relief flight.

Air India stated that it provided immediate assistance to affected passengers, including hotel accommodations and meals, along with options for full refunds or complimentary rescheduling based on passenger preference.