Naidu orders DGCA probe into Air India Phuket-Delhi turbulence incident
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct a detailed investigation into the turbulence incident involving an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi after Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu directed the regulator to probe the occurrence.
The incident involved Air India flight AI2379, operated by an Airbus A320 (VT-EXO), which experienced what the Ministry of Civil Aviation described as a "momentary altitude variation" during the flight before landing safely at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday. The aircraft was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members.
In a post on X, the minister said he visited Fortis Hospital in New Delhi to meet the injured passengers and crew and reviewed their treatment with hospital officials, Air India, DGCA and ministry officials.
"Have also directed DGCA to initiate a detailed investigation into the occurrence," Naidu said.
Medical teams examined all passengers and crew immediately after landing. Eight passengers and four cabin crew members were admitted for detailed evaluation and are under observation. The minister said all necessary medical assistance is being extended and directed officials to provide medical status updates on each patient every two hours.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the aircraft has been moved to a hangar, while the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) have been secured for detailed examination as part of the investigation. Passenger safety remains the highest priority, it added.
The latest incident comes as India's aviation sector remains under intense scrutiny following the crash of Air India Flight AI171 near Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground, making it one of India's deadliest aviation disasters.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released a preliminary report into the Ahmedabad crash last month, identifying several factual findings while stating that the investigation remains ongoing. The final report is expected after a comprehensive examination of technical, operational and human factors.