Hong Kong To Delhi Air India Flight's Auxiliary Power Unit Catches Fire After Landing At Airport
An Air India plane's auxiliary power unit (APU) caught fire after landing at Delhi airport from Hong Kong on Tuesday, a statement informed. Flight AI 315, operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 22 July 2025, experienced an APU fire shortly after it landed and was parked at the gate. According to an Air India spokesperson, the fire broke out while passengers had already begun disembarking. The APU shut down automatically as per its system design.
“There was some damage to the aircraft; however, passengers and crew members disembarked normally and are safe,” the spokesperson added, as per news agency ANI. The aircraft has since been grounded for further inspection and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been informed.
Technical Snag Grounds AI 2403 at Delhi Airport
Another incident was reported a day prior, on 21 July 2025, when Flight AI 2403 from Delhi to Kolkata aborted takeoff due to a technical malfunction. The Airbus A321 aircraft was scheduled to depart on Monday evening but encountered a snag during the takeoff roll.
“The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the takeoff, following Standard Operating Procedures,” the airline said in a statement, as per news agency PTI. Passengers were deboarded and assistance was provided by ground staff. The flight has been rescheduled to operate later the same evening.
No Faults Found in Boeing Fuel Switches After Safety Directive: Air India
Meanwhile, Air India confirmed that it has completed precautionary inspections of the fuel control switch (FCS) locking systems on its fleet of Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft. This follows a DGCA directive issued on 14 July, which required all Indian airlines operating these aircraft to carry out the inspections by 21 July 2025.
This safety advisory came after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in its preliminary findings, linked the cut-off of fuel switches to the fatal crash of Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 en route to London Gatwick from Ahmedabad on 12 June. The crash claimed 241 passenger lives and killed 19 people on the ground.
In its statement, Air India said, “In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism.” The airline began voluntary checks on 12 July and completed them within the DGCA’s deadline.
The AAIB’s preliminary report found that fuel supply to both engines was terminated within the span of a second, triggering cockpit confusion. The cockpit voice recording revealed one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other replied, “I did not do so.”
The AAIB also referenced a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which had flagged the risk of disengagement in fuel control switch locks on Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft. However, the FAA did not issue an airworthiness directive at the time, implying it was not deemed a critical safety risk.
Air India operates 33 wide-body Boeing 787 aircraft, while its low-cost arm Air India Express manages around 75 Boeing 737s. The DGCA directive applied to Indian-registered aircraft, excluding leased Boeing planes operated by IndiGo, which has seven B737 Max 8 and one B787-9, all registered overseas.
Other Indian carriers operating Boeing aircraft, such as Akasa Air and SpiceJet, have also likely undertaken compliance with the DGCA’s inspection requirements.
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