An investigation has been launched after three Air India aircraft suffered damage at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport when severe weather swept through the capital on Sunday.
The incident comes amid a spell of unpredictable weather in Delhi-NCR and has put the spotlight on the risks sudden storms pose to aircraft and ground handling operations at busy airports.
According to Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the damage occurred at Terminal 2 after strong winds and rainfall caused ground support equipment parked near aircraft to shift from its position and hit three Air India narrow-body planes.
Airport officials said the weather worsened unexpectedly, leaving little time for preventive action. The equipment involved in the incident belonged to Air India Engineering Services and IndiGo’s ground handling operations, according to DIAL.
No driver, no problem! Ground equipment went into ‘autopilot’ mode during the Delhi Airport storm yesterday. 🚗💨⛈️#DelhiAirport #DelhiWeather #StormChaospic.twitter.com/HdArxUaRIz
— VISHAL (@VishalVarta) June 8, 2026
Following the incident, all three aircraft were withdrawn from service and sent for detailed inspections and necessary repairs.
Officials associated with airport operations said neither airlines nor the airport operator had received any advance warning from Air Traffic Control (ATC) regarding the abrupt change in weather conditions.
While Air India has not issued a statement on the incident so far, reports indicate that an aircraft belonging to another operator may also have been affected by the adverse weather.
Aircraft inspections underway
Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage sustained by the aircraft. Sources indicated that two of the three affected Air India planes are likely to return to service shortly after inspections are completed. Repair work on the third aircraft could take longer, depending on the findings of the technical assessment.
The probe is expected to examine the circumstances that led to the movement of ground handling equipment and whether existing safety protocols were adequate to deal with the sudden weather disruption.
Delhi-NCR likely to witness more rain
The incident coincided with a sharp change in weather across Delhi-NCR, where several areas received rainfall and experienced gusty winds on Sunday. Visuals from localities around the IGI Airport showed intense showers moving through parts of the region.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast another spell of very light to light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds of up to 60 kmph on June 11 and 12.