Air India plane engine damage caught on camera, airline yet to respond

A video circulating on social media, reportedly filmed by a passenger on board, appears to show an Air India aircraft on the tarmac surrounded by ground staff, with visible damage to one of its engines. 

An official statement from Air India regarding the incident is awaited.

The development follows shortly after a recent engine issue with another Air India flight, which was forced to make a mid-air return to Delhi while en route to Mumbai.

On the morning of December 22, an Air India aircraft bound for Mumbai from Delhi turned back after being airborne for about an hour due to a technical issue. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the flight made an “air turn back” after the flight crew observed low engine oil pressure in the right-hand engine during flap retraction following take-off.

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 777, reportedly carrying around 355 passengers at the time.

In a brief statement, an Air India spokesperson reportedly said, “The crew operating flight AI887 from Delhi to Mumbai on December 22 decided to return to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue, as per standard operating procedure.” The airline did not provide further details.

The DGCA later issued a detailed statement, confirming that the aircraft experienced low engine oil pressure in Engine No. 2, the right-hand engine. According to the regulator, the oil pressure subsequently dropped to zero, prompting the crew to shut down the engine in line with established procedures. The aircraft then landed safely back in Delhi.