New Delhi Aug. 4 : At least 17 people, including 13 passengers and four crew members, sustained injuries on Tuesday after an Air India flight operating from Phuket to New Delhi encountered severe turbulence and a sudden drop in altitude mid-air. The aircraft made a safe landing at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 11:07 a.m. IST.
The flight (AI377), operated by an Airbus A320neo carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, was in its cruising phase when it hit clear-air turbulence. The sudden loss of altitude caused unbelted passengers and crew to collide with overhead panels and interior fittings before the flight crew stabilized the aircraft.
Upon landing, emergency medical response teams were deployed immediately. All passengers and crew disembarked safely, and the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals, including Fortis and Medanta, for medical evaluation and treatment. By Tuesday evening, five passengers were discharged after receiving primary care, while others remain under observation for minor injuries and severe bruises.
Describing the panic inside the cabin, a passenger recalled, “The plane dropped suddenly without any prior warning. People who weren’t wearing seat belts were tossed upward, hitting the ceiling before falling back into the aisle.”In an official statement, Air India emphasized that passenger safety remains its paramount priority. The airline confirmed that its ground assistance teams are present at the hospitals to support affected families and that all standard safety protocols were executed following the incident.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a detailed probe into the cause of the turbulence. The aircraft has been grounded for inspection, and officials have secured the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) for analysis.
Civil Aviation authorities visited the injured in hospital to assure them of full support and coordinate with hospital administration. Following the incident, aviation experts have once again urged travelers to keep their seat belts loosely fastened at all times while seated, even when the seat belt sign is switched off.
