Air India Leadership Meets Aviation Officials Over Flight Incident That Injured 17

Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson, along with senior airline executives, on Tuesday met Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and other officials following last week’s mid-air incident involving a Phuket-Delhi flight that injured at least 17 people.

According to sources, the meeting was convened by the civil aviation ministry in connection with the August 4 incident involving Air India flight AI2379. Executive Advisor to Tata Sons Chairman and former Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola and Air India Head of Flight Safety Deepak Joshi attended the meeting.

Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief Vir Vikram Yadav and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Director General G V G Yugandhar were also present. Specific details of the discussions were not immediately available.

The A320 aircraft, VT-EXO, experienced a loss of altitude of around 300 feet while cruising on the Phuket-Delhi route. The aircraft subsequently stabilised and landed safely in New Delhi.

At least 17 people, including four cabin crew members, were injured in the incident, which is being investigated by the AAIB. Sources on Monday said the aircraft had encountered multiple technical glitches, hydraulic failures and turbulence.

The investigation is expected to receive technical assistance from France’s aircraft accident investigation agency BEA and Airbus, according to sources.

The incident has drawn attention to the flight crew’s post-incident testing. The civil aviation ministry said on August 9 that the pilot-in-command underwent confirmatory testing after an initial psychoactive substance screening produced a result requiring further analysis. The confirmatory test result is awaited.

The meeting comes as Wilson prepares to leave Air India. The CEO and managing director has resigned and is expected to depart the airline next month.

Air India is jointly owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines and has been undergoing a transformation under the Tata Group’s ownership. The ministry’s meeting with the airline leadership comes amid the ongoing AAIB probe into the flight’s altitude loss and reported technical issues.