Three Air India Planes Damaged at Delhi IGI Airport After Storm Sends Ground Equipment Crashing Into Aircraft.

No weather warning issued; boarding stairs, trestle blown by 80 kmph winds, one aircraft grounded for days.

New Delhi, June 8, 2026 – Three Air India Airbus A320 aircraft parked at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were damaged Sunday evening after strong winds and rain dislodged ground support equipment, sending it crashing into the planes.

What Happened.

The incident occurred around 4:40 pm at parking bays near Terminal 2 when a sudden dust storm and heavy rain swept the airport. A passenger step ladder and trestles belonging to Air India and IndiGo ground handling teams broke loose in the gusts and rolled across the tarmac, striking the parked aircraft. 

Viral video shared on X showed an IndiGo stepladder being blown toward an Air India plane before ground staff rushed to stop it. Another clip captured equipment colliding with aircraft amid stormy winds. 0cfb

Damage and Impact.

All three Air India narrowbody aircraft were immediately taken out of service for inspection. Officials said two planes sustained minor damage and could return to operations within a few days. The third suffered substantial damage near the boarding stairwell and will remain grounded longer for extensive safety checks and repairs. 

No staff were present in the parking bays and no injuries were reported. 

No Prior Warning.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said no weather warning was issued by Air Traffic Control to either the airport operator or airlines ahead of the sudden deterioration. Such alerts normally allow airlines and ground handlers to secure equipment before severe weather hits. 

IndiGo claimed its step ladder was stopped by staff before it hit any aircraft. Sources said the winds were so strong that even secured trestles came loose. 86495a1c

This is not the first such incident: In January, an Air India A350 engine was damaged after ingesting a loose baggage container while taxiing in dense fog at 

The storm hit Delhi-NCR Sunday evening with gusts recorded up to 80 kmph, according to pilots. IMD attributed it to a fast-moving cloud cluster and winds peaking at 76 kmph.

Air India declined to comment on the latest incident.