Air India Flight Grounded After Tail Strike on Landing in Bengaluru
NEW DELHI — An Air India flight from Delhi to Bengaluru was grounded after suffering a tail strike while landing at Bengaluru International Airport, the airline said Thursday.
Flight AI2651 had 179 people on board when the incident occurred during landing. Air India said the aircraft landed safely and that all passengers and crew members disembarked normally.
The aircraft has been taken out of service for a detailed inspection. The airline said the incident will be investigated in line with established procedures.
The grounding led to the cancellation of the return flight, AI2652, from Bengaluru to Delhi. Air India said it is making alternative arrangements to accommodate affected passengers as soon as possible.
The incident comes as India’s aviation sector remains under close scrutiny following the crash of Air India Flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad last year, which killed 260 people.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu recently said the investigation into that crash is in its final stages and could be completed within a month.
“The crash investigation is in the final stage and could even be completed in a month. However, the investigation is being done by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and we don’t interfere in it. We are giving them all the resources they need,” Naidu said.
Naidu said transparency would be important because foreign nationals were among those on board the flight, meaning the final report would face international scrutiny.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau submitted its preliminary findings to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation on July 12, 2025.
Naidu also said the ministry is monitoring concerns raised by some victims’ families about communication and delays in compensation from Air India.
The crash occurred June 12, 2025, when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Air India Flight AI 171 took off from Runway 23 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport for London Gatwick. (Source: IANS)
