Airbus participates in investigation of sudden Air India aircraft descent

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Airbus is sending experts to New Delhi on Tuesday to assist investigators probing an Air India flight that plunged dramatically, injuring 17 in a terrifying mid-air ordeal, the company said.

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The probe into the flight comes as “confirmatory” psychoactive drug test results are awaited for the chief pilot.

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The Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew, lost around 300 feet (91 metres) on August 4 while flying from Phuket in Thailand to New Delhi, before stabilising and landing safely.

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Air India, in a statement after the plane landed, said it had “experienced a sudden loss of altitude”, adding that it was “fully cooperating with the investigation, and the aircraft manufacturer has also been notified”.

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India’s civil aviation ministry said that the “occurrence has been classified as a Serious Incident and is under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)”.

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An Airbus spokesperson said that the jet manufacturer was providing “technical assistance” to Indian investigating authorities.

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Indian newspapers have widely reported that the flight experienced several technical snags just before it experienced a sudden loss in altitude — but neither the carrier, Indian authorities, or Airbus have provided official confirmation.

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“A team of specialists is being dispatched to assist with the investigation,” an Airbus spokesperson said on Monday.

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“Airbus is providing technical assistance to the relevant investigating authorities. We are actively supporting the airline and will provide further information as it becomes available,” they added.

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Air India has said it “cannot comment on any findings or observations related to the investigation”.

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Eight passengers and four cabin crew members were admitted to hospitals after landing in the Indian capital.

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India’s aviation ministry said Sunday that after the flight landed, both pilots were given standard “psychoactive substance screening tests”

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It said that the screening test of the pilot-in-command “indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing”, with samples sent for analysis. The final report is yet to be publicly released.

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Both pilots have been taken off the flying roster during the investigations.

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The probe into the Phuket-New Delhi flight is the latest in a series of challenges for Air India, which has struggled to execute a turnaround following multiple setbacks.

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It has been hit hard by disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East.

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The biggest blow to the airline’s image came in June 2025, when Air India Flight 171 — a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner — crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground.

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The Indian carrier last week appointed former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new chief executive.

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AFP

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