NEW DELHI – India’s civil aviation minister has summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson following an incident last week where an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden loss of approximately 300 feet of altitude. A source with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed the summoning on Tuesday.
This development comes days after Indian authorities launched an investigation into the incident, which involved an Airbus A320neo aircraft. Air India reported that the flight, while traversing over the eastern Indian state of Odisha, encountered a “momentary altitude variation.” This event resulted in injuries to 13 passengers and four crew members. Despite the incident, the aircraft, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, landed safely in Delhi.
Air India and the minister’s office have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these recent events.
Adding to the ongoing scrutiny, India’s civil aviation ministry announced on Sunday that the captain of the affected flight produced an initial screening result for psychoactive substances, necessitating further laboratory testing. Air India stated that it has not yet been informed of the results of these tests.
