Campbell Wilson.
| Photo Credit: PTI

A tense moment unfolded at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport when the wings of an Air India and an IndiGo aircraft made contact during ground movements, narrowly avoiding what could have been a far more serious mishap. Both aircraft were carrying passengers at the time.

“Flight AI2732 operating from Mumbai to Coimbatore on 3 February was delayed after the aircraft scheduled to operate the service came into contact with another airline’s aircraft while waiting on the taxiway prior to take-off. The wingtips of the two aircraft made contact, resulting in damage to our aircraft’s wingtip,” Air India said in a statement.

“As a precautionary measure, the aircraft has been grounded for further technical checks. All passengers were safely disembarked, and our ground teams are making alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination at the earliest.
The incident has been reported to the regulator.”

“Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this event. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority,” the statement added.

IndiGo also released a statement. “We confirm that the wingtip of one of our aircraft operating flight 6E791 from Hyderabad to Mumbai on 3 February 2026 came in contact with an aircraft of another airline while taxiing, after landing. All passengers are safe and disembarked after parking. The aircraft is undergoing maintenance inspections,” an IndiGo Spokesperson said.

“In line with established protocols, the relevant authorities were promptly informed and the matter is being investigated. At IndiGo, the safety and security of our customers, crew and aircraft remain our highest priority.”

DGCA said that both the aircraft were taxing at the time of incident after returning to bay for inspections. It added that officers from Mumbai DGCA had reached the site.

While Air India’s AI 2732 was taxiing from C1 towards M4 for departure, IndiGo’s arrival flight was taxing joining B1. The right wing tips of both the aircraft touched each other, the DGCA said.

ALSO READ: ‘Affected Component In AI132 Will Be Sent to OEM’: Air India Sources

The source further clarified, “The issue is with a specific component, not the aircraft. The component will be changed on the aircraft and it will be further sent to OEM for further investigation.”

ALSO READ: Air India Starts Inspection Of Fuel Control Switches In Its Boeing 787 Planes

The memo also stated, “It is to verify the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) latch to verify normal operations. To date, no adverse findings have been reported on the aircraft for which this re-inspection is completed.”

In a statement issued yesterday Air India spokesperson said, “We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft. Involving with the OEM to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis.”

DGCA also issued a statement describing the incident. DGCA stated that during engine start in London, on two occasions crew observed that the fuel control switch did not remain positively latched in the “RUN” position.

“On the third attempt, the switch latched correctly in “RUN” and subsequently remained stable. Before continuing with the rest of procedure, a physical verification was performed by the crew,” said India’s Civil Aviation regulator.

DGCA added that no abnormal engine parameters, cautions, warnings, or related system messages were observed during engine start or at any time thereafter. The alerting systems were closely monitored by the crew for the remainder of the flight, the flight was completed without incident.

U.S. aircraft maker Boeing expects more orders for its Dreamliners in the Indian market, which is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, according to a senior company executive.

Amid the ongoing tariff issues between India and the US, Boeing India and South Asia President Salil Gupte emphasised on the two countries’ goal for industrialisation of Indian aerospace and exuded confidence that the aircraft maker will be able to see through some of these short-term challenges.

In India, Boeing 787 planes, also known as Dreamliners, are operated by Air India. The airline’s first custom-made Dreamliner post privatisation in January 2022 is set to commence commercial operations from February 1.

“B787 has an extremely bright future in India… we look forward to potentially more orders for the 787 in India coming,” Mr. Gupte told PTI in an interview.

Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet — 26 legacy B787-8s, six B787-9s from Vistara and the new plane.

IndiGo also operates some Dreamliners taken on lease from Norse Atlantic Airways.

On June 12 last year, an Air India Dreamliner operating the flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed soon after take off, killing 260 people and it was also the first fatal accident involving the Dreamliner. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash.

Against this backdrop, Mr. Gupte said it was a challenging year (2025) for Boeing. “… as we think about the Air India AI171 accident, naturally, the victims’ families, victims, and all of their loved ones remain foremost in our minds.

“As it relates to the accident investigation, of course, that will go on, and we expect the Indian AAIB will issue its report. But beyond that, there’s not much that any of the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can comment on,” he said.

In recent years, Boeing had also faced regulatory issues, including with Dreamliners.

The global demand for B787s has been incredibly robust and expect that will continue in the years to come, Gupte said.

Last year, Boeing delivered 14 B787s to various airlines.

In response to a query on increasing competition from Airbus, Mr. Gupte said competition is natural in the industry as he stressed that “airplanes are tools for our customers to serve their customers”.

“We believe that the number of routes and missions that our customers here will want to fly will grow for the B787. And we think there is an entire network of possibilities for which the B787 will be ideal,” he noted.

Regarding tariff issues, he said Boeing has been around for 100 years where it has operated through a very broad set of circumstances, including world wars, conflicts, financial crises, and other challenges.

“Whether it is a tariff or a financial crisis or something else, in the long term, it does not affect the growth of the business… as societies become more advanced, one of the things that they do is travel more…

“We are confident that we will be able to see some of these short-term challenges through,” Mr. Gupte said.

Boeing has over 265 commercial and military aircraft operating in India, which is a key market for the plane maker. The company has more than 325 suppliers and the annual sourcing from the country is worth over $1.25 billion.

Apart from Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet have Boeing planes in their fleets.

Published – January 26, 2026 01:39 pm IST

Air India has cancelled all its flights to and from New York and Newark on Jan. 25 and 26 after a severe winter storm was forecast. It is expected to affect large parts of the US East Coast.

The airline said the storm, expected to bring heavy snowfall, will impact New York, New Jersey and adjoining regions from early Sunday morning (Jan. 25) till Monday (Jan. 26), disrupting flight operations. The warning comes as the region prepares for challenging weather conditions.

In a post on X, Air India said, “A severe winter storm with heavy snow is forecast for New York, New Jersey and adjoining areas in the US East Coast from early Sunday morning to Monday, which will have a significant impact on flight operations.”

Citing passenger and crew safety as the primary concern, the carrier added, “In view of the safety, well-being and convenience of our passengers and crew, all Air India flights to and from New York and Newark have been cancelled on 25 and 26 January.”

Air India also assured affected travellers that support teams were in place to help with rebooking and other assistance. “Our dedicated teams will extend all assistance to you if you are booked to fly with us on these dates,” the airline added.

Here’s the post:

#TravelAdvisory

A severe winter storm with heavy snow is forecast for New York, New Jersey and adjoining areas in the US East Coast from early Sunday morning to Monday, which will have a significant impact on flight operations.

In view of the safety, well-being and convenience…

— Air India (@airindia) January 24, 2026

Passengers scheduled to travel on the affected routes need to stay updated through official airline communication channels and check flight status before heading to the airport.

Heavy Snowfall Forecast Across Tri-State Area

Forecasts suggest widespread disruption across the US Northeast as the winter storm intensifies. According to NBC New York, large parts of the tri-state area, including New York City, Hudson Valley, most of New Jersey and parts of Connecticut, could receive between eight and 12 inches of snow.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for New York City, Long Island, northern suburbs, parts of north-east New Jersey and southern Connecticut from early Sunday morning through Monday evening, CNN reported.

Storm To Affect Much Of The United States

The impact of the storm is expected to extend far beyond the Northeast. According to NBC News, the system is set to batter more than half of the US, bringing heavy snow, widespread ice accumulation and dangerously low temperatures.

The National Weather Service said in the south, including parts of Texas, Virginia and the Carolinas, mixed precipitation and significant ice build-up are expected.

Strong winds could push wind chill values well below zero, with temperatures dropping to as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the northern and central Plains. Forecasters warned that severe to catastrophic ice accumulation could bring down power lines and trees, leading to prolonged power outages, worsening cold exposure and making travel extremely dangerous.

Air India will operate its new Boeing 787-9 aircraft with certain limitations as the Tata Group-owned airline is awaiting approvals from the US watchdog FAA for the sliding privacy doors in the plane’s business class suites and for 18 economy class seats, sources said.

The aircraft, also the first custom-made Dreamliner to join the Air India fleet after takeover by the Tata Group in January 2022, will enter commercial operations on the Mumbai-Frankfurt route from February 1.

The plane has 296 seats, comprising 30 business class, 28 premium economy and 238 economy class seats. Out of them, 18 economy class seats will not be available for use till the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) give its approval, the sources told PTI.

In a statement to PTI, an airline spokesperson said the new B787-9 will enter commercial operations on February 1 with certain limitations.

“The sliding privacy doors in our business class suites will remain securely fixed in the open position and unavailable for passenger use, as this specific seat feature awaits regulatory approval. We expect to receive the necessary approval in the near future. All other seat features are available for passenger use,” the spokesperson said.

Separately, a total of 18 specific economy class seats are blocked from sale and are also physically blocked from use.

“The seat product itself (RECARO 3710) is fully certified and in regular operation on many airlines worldwide; however, there is a regulatory interpretation affecting the 18 specific seats that we are working with the manufacturer and regulator to resolve.

“The 18 specific seats will only be offered for sale once full certification is received,” the spokesperson said.

When contacted over e-mail, an FAA spokesperson told PTI, “We don’t comment on ongoing certification work”.

There was no comment from Boeing.

In 2026, five more wide-body aircraft — three Boeing 787-9s and 2 A350-1000s — are set to join the Air India fleet. The airline, currently, has 188 planes, and the legacy Boeing 787s are undergoing retrofit progressively.

According to the spokesperson, the product limitations due to pending certification apply only to the new B787-9 aircraft, and not to the retrofitted B787-8 planes.

These are two different variants, and their interior fitout undergoes a separate certification process. The certifications for seats and features on the B787-8 are complete and have been approved by relevant regulators and will be available for customer use, the spokesperson added.

The sources also said that some global airlines are awaiting certain regulatory approvals for their business class seats. These include Lufthansa, which is awaiting regulatory certification nod for some of the business class seats in their new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, they added.

At present, Air India has 33 Boeing 787s — 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s, including 6 from Vistara and the new one.

In 2025, Boeing delivered 14 Boeing 787s to various airlines, including 12 Boeing 787-9s.

ALSO READ: Budget 2026: India Targets Next-Gen Clean Energy; Ministry Eyes Backing

Mumbai:

A pilots’ grouping on Tuesday alleged that Air India and IndiGo have a tacit understanding not to hire pilots from each other, saying that employment in the aviation sector should remain fair.

Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India), a member associate of the International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Association (IFALPA), has flagged the issue to the civil aviation ministry.

Air India and IndiGo did not comment on PTI’s queries about the pilots’ grouping’s allegations.

An IndiGo official said there was no substance in the allegations.

In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, ALPA India has expressed concerns regarding recent reports that Air India and IndiGo have agreed not to hire each other’s pilots.

“Such an arrangement, if true, raises serious legal and ethical questions as it restricts the fundamental right to employment and fair competition,” the letter said.

ALPA India has urged the minister to ensure that employment in the aviation sector remains fair, open and in line with constitutional and legal principles.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets and more than 1,800 planes are on order. There is also a rising demand for pilots as carriers expand their fleet to cater to the air traffic growth.

ALPA India represents over 800 pilots across airlines and helicopter companies.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Aviation safety regulator DGCA has imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Tata Group-owned Air India for allegedly allowing one of its pilots to operate a flight without complying with certain regulatory requirements.

The DGCA in order of January 29 also said that it has found “recurrent rostering issues…,” about the airline.

The order to slap penalty came after the response of a show-cause notice to Air India’s head of operations and head of rostering, among other executives, on December 13, 2024 was found “unsatisfactory.” The pilot “operated a flight on 7th July despite not having the mandatory recency requirement of 3 take off and landings, leading to violation of para 3 of civil aviation requirement,” the regulator said in its order.

Air India did not respond to a PTI query on this issue.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in its order also said that “the (rostering) controllers (at Air India) overlooked the multiple spurious alerts reflecting on CAE window, as per the submission made by M/s Air India Limited.”

“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 162 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 … (DGCA) hereby imposes a penalty of Rs 30,00,000…,” as per the order.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Air India will showcase its premium cabin product and in-flight offerings at Asia’s most influential travel trade show to be held from January 30 to February 1 at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre, the Tata-owned airline said in a statement. 

Taking inspiration from Air India’s signature design philosophy, the exhibition booth at the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) event has been conceptualised with ‘The Vista’ as an integral part of its structure, blending aesthetics with immersive digital experiences, Air India said.

The pavilion will showcase various aspects of Air India’s transformation journey, captivating audiences with a live demonstration of business class and premium economy seats that are available on Air India’s newly retrofitted A320 family aircraft, the airline said.

These aircraft come with subtle cabin mood lighting, spacious legroom and wider pitch, and modern features such as portable electronic device (PED) holders and USB ports to charge mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets.

Visitors will be able to experience the seats in real-time while also getting a glimpse of Air India’s brand new A350 product at the virtual reality (VR) experience zone, Air India said, adding it will also display a selection of in-flight meals to showcase its refreshed menus and enhanced dining experience onboard.

“OTM 2025 presents a significant platform for Air India to engage and deepen ties with more than 40,000 key trade visitors from across the globe while highlighting the milestones of our transformation journey. With the Air India pavilion featuring unique activations and immersive experiences, including our business class and premium economy seats, we are set to demonstrate our commitment to delivering world-class product and services to our customers,” Air India chief commercial officer Nipun Aggarwal said.

At the VR experience zone, visitors can embark on a virtual journey of the A350 aircraft that have recently been deployed between Delhi and London Heathrow, New York (JFK), and Newark.

Air India’s A350 aircraft feature 28 private suites in business class with full-flat beds in a 1-2-1 configuration, and 264 spacious economy seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. Each suite in business class provides direct aisle access, sliding privacy doors, and a personal wardrobe.

All seats across cabins on the A350 come with the latest-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment (IFE) system and HD screens that offer more than 3,800 hours of entertainment content from around the world, Air India said.

The A350 flights also feature the airline’s new signature soft product and award-winning guest enhancements, including new chinaware, tableware and glassware, plush bedding, and bespoke amenity kits.

The Air India booth will also give visitors a chance to sign up for the Maharaja Club, Air India’s all-new frequent flyer programme that offers a host of privileges and exclusive benefits. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to win multiple prizes, including curated gift hampers or a complimentary economy class ticket, through a raffle that will be conducted at the booth.

The Air India group comprises full-service global airline Air India and low-cost regional carrier Air India Express. The Air India story began in 1932 when JRD Tata piloted the airline’s inaugural flight and opened the skies for aviation in India. Today, the Air India group employs more than 30,000 people, operates over 300 aircraft and carries customers to 55 domestic and 48 international destinations across five continents.

New Delhi:

Journalist Vir Sanghvi on Saturday criticised Tata Group-owned Air India after the airline downgraded his cabin class on an upcoming flight, saying he has “lost count of the number of times” the airline has reassigned seats of passengers.

The airline expressed regret over the inconvenience caused and assured it would provide compensation for the downgrade. 

In a post on X, Mr Sanghvi said he had booked a seat in the Premium Economy Class on AI 353 that is scheduled to fly from Mumbai to Bangkok on January 20. The airline later downgraded his cabin class to Economy. 

“I have lost count of the number of times Air India has done this to so many passengers? Why would premium passengers book on Air India,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site. 

I have lost count of the number of times @airindia has done this to so many passengers?
Why would premium passengers book on ⁦@airindia⁩ ?
Isn’t it time for Campbell Wilson to actually manage the airline?
Never happened this regularly till ⁦@TataCompanies⁩ took over pic.twitter.com/sGnXXHhUhu

— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) January 18, 2025

“Isn’t it time for Campbell Wilson to actually manage the airline?” he added, referring to the Chief Executive Office and Managing Director of the airline. 

Mr Sanghvi also alleged such seat reallocations by Air India never took place this frequently till the Tata Group took over the airline from the government in 2022. 

He also shared a screenshot of a message sent by Air India on the seat reallocation. In the message, the airline expressed regret over the inconvenience and also provided a link for the passenger to make an alternative arrangement.

The airline also apologised to Mr Sanghvi while responding to his post on X and initially sought some time to look into the matter. 

It later said: “As requested, we have provided you with the details of the charges for upgrading to business class. Please rest assured that you are eligible for a full refund in case of cancellation or compensation in the event of downgrading to economy class,” it said. 

Dear Mr. Sanghvi, thank you for your time on the call. As requested, we have provided you with the details of the charges for upgrading to business class. Please rest assured that you are eligible for a full refund in case of cancellation or compensation in the event of…

— Air India (@airindia) January 18, 2025

“Inconvenience caused to you is deeply regretted and appreciate your kind understanding,” it added. 

Recently, a Facebook user alleged that he and his four-year-old son were downgraded from business class to economy class on an Air India flight, with the airline reassigning their seats to a crew member.