Not just turbulence: on the Air India aircraft incident
An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi experienced a serious incident involving technical failures and altitude deviations, leading to passenger injuries. The event has prompted investigations into both the mechanical anomalies of the Airbus A320N and the pilot's screening for psychoactive substances.
Why it matters
It raises critical questions about aviation safety standards, technical maintenance, and the adequacy of crew substance testing protocols.
The August 4, 2026, incident involving Air India flight AI 2379, from Phuket to Delhi , with 137 passengers and eight crew, now has two tracks. The first concerns its reclassification: the initial ‘event of turbulence’ is now a “serious incident” after inflight technical issues and a significant deviation in aircraft altitude caused injuries to more than 20 passengers and crew, quickly drawing in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The subsequent probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, along with France’s investigation authority, BEA, and technical representatives from Airbus, should unravel the multiple anomalies that briefly overtook the Airbus A320N — fault warnings across the hydraulic systems, elevator flight-control faults, autopilot disconnection, emergency-exit door indications and an engine anti-ice warning. Airbus’s initial data is said to support the evidence of technical errors .
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