An Air India flight from Mumbai to Bangkok was delayed for over five hours after ground staff found hay lodged under the aircraft’s wing. Though the issue was resolved and the flight later departed, the incident raised fresh concerns about ground safety procedures. The delay also coincided with heightened scrutiny of airline operations following a recent fatal air crash in Ahmedabad.
Flight AI2354, scheduled to depart at 7:45 am on June 25, was grounded at Mumbai airport when hay was discovered lodged beneath the left wing of the Airbus A320Neo aircraft. Ground staff alerted maintenance teams, and the aircraft was inspected before being cleared for departure. The airline confirmed the source of the hay remains unknown, prompting an internal probe by the ground handling service provider and a report to aviation safety regulators.
Passengers were disembarked and served refreshments as they waited over five hours for a resolution. The delay extended further because the original flight crew had reached their regulated duty limit, requiring a fresh crew to be deployed. The aircraft finally took off around 1:00 pm. No injuries or technical failures were reported, but the airline did not disclose the total number of passengers or the exact duration passengers were stranded.
The incident adds to a string of safety lapses recently flagged by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) during nationwide inspections. The aviation regulator has intensified oversight of critical operations—including ramp safety, airworthiness, flight operations, and aircraft maintenance—following the June 12 crash in Ahmedabad. Although the current delay posed no immediate threat, it reflects gaps in ground handling safety that the DGCA has promised to address urgently.
According to airline sources, hay found on the tarmac could have blown under the wing due to poor apron cleanliness or maintenance lapses. Experts argue that even seemingly minor foreign object debris poses risks to aircraft safety, especially near sensitive engine or wing components. The event has been formally recorded as a safety incident and will form part of a broader investigation by the DGCA into airline ground operations at major Indian airports.
As Air India and the DGCA continue investigating the hay incident, the event reinforces the importance of meticulous pre-flight checks and ground safety protocols. With rising scrutiny over aviation safety in India, even non-technical disruptions like this attract regulatory attention. Industry observers warn that improving ramp and apron cleanliness will be essential to preventing such unexpected—and potentially hazardous—delays in future.
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Hay discovery grounds Bangkok Air India flight, passengers wait over five hours
