Air India Hong Kong-Delhi flight catches fire after landing at IGI, passengers & crew safe
According to reports, the fire in flight AI 315 started in the APU shortly after landing and parking at the gate. The incident took place during the disembarkation process. The airline has confirmed the incident. In a statement, Air India said that passengers had already begun to deboard when the fire occurred. As per system design, the APU was automatically shut down. While the aircraft did sustain some damage, all passengers and crew members are safe.
New Delhi: An Air India flight experienced an auxiliary power unit (APU) fire shortly after landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Tuesday. The flight AI315 had arrived from Hong Kong. All passengers were safely evacuated in time, and the crew members are also safe.
According to reports, the fire in flight AI 315 started in the APU shortly after landing and parking at the gate. The incident took place during the disembarkation process. The airline has confirmed the incident. In a statement, Air India said that passengers had already begun to deboard when the fire occurred. As per system design, the APU was automatically shut down. While the aircraft did sustain some damage, all passengers and crew members are safe.
Air India statement
"Flight AI315, operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 22 July 2025, experienced an auxiliary power unit (APU) fire shortly after it had landed and parked at the gate. The incident occurred while passengers had begun disembarking, and the APU was automatically shut down as per system design. There was some damage to the aircraft, however, passengers and crew members disembarked normally, and are safe. The aircraft has been grounded for further investigations and the regulator has been duly notified," the Air India statement read further.
Following the incident, there was a brief moment of panic at the airport. Fire brigade vehicles rushed to the scene. The exact cause of the fire will be determined after investigation. The airline has confirmed that the aircraft's operations have been suspended for now.
Following the Ahmedabad incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued strict guidelines for airlines. On their part, airlines are also conducting thorough checks—both big and small—to ensure flight safety.