Breaking News: Air India Hong Kong Delhi Flight Catches Fire, All Passengers Rushed to Safety Zone

Auxiliary Power Unit Fire Grounds Airbus A321 at Delhi Airport; No Injuries Reported 

Passengers aboard Air India flight AI-315 from Hong Kong to Delhi on July 22, 2025, experienced a frightful and horrifying incident after the auxiliary power unit (APU) exploded post-landing. 

While passengers were deplaning from the Airbus A321, smoke was pouring out from the rear of the aircraft, yet another disastrous incident for Air India in 2025. 

All 170 passengers and crew made it off the airplane safely; however, the incident made the news related to Air India's operating practices, given their recent run of incidents.

The Incident: Timeline of a Near Miss

The aircraft was taxiing on the ground at Indira Gandhi International Airport when a fire broke out. Witnesses reported seeing sparks from the position of the Aircraft Power Unit (APU) that powers the aircraft when the engines are not operating.

When the APU shut down, there was a strong smell of burning metal, said passenger Riya Mehta who filmed the ground crew rushing to investigate the incident.

Air India said their plane ,  a two-year-old Airbus, formerly operated by Vistara - suffered ‘minor damage’. The plane was grounded, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would investigate. 

While it's still very early in the investigation, early reports suggest that a maintenance failure may have caused the APU to fail, but officials will not draw any conclusion yet.

Flight AI315, operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on 22 July 2025, experienced an auxiliary power unit (APU) fire shortly after it had landed and parked at the gate. The incident occurred while passengers had begun disembarking, and the APU was automatically shut down as per system…

— Air India (@airindia) July 22, 2025

Air India Post on X: how  APu automatically shut down. ( Source: Money Control)

Air India's Safety Issues: A Pattern Is Starting to Emerge

This is the third incident for the airline in 48 hours.  

1. On July 21, Flight AI-2744 landed at Mumbai in heavy rain and veered, damaging the engine and sustaining a runway skid. 

2. The aborted take-off in Delhi involved AI-2403 unable to fly, while losing speed and halted at 155 km/hr, after becoming immovable due to a technical snag. 

The incidents come in the aftermath of a disastrous accident with AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Before the incident, which involved killing 274 in Ahmedabad in June. While the fire in the APU is a low-level event, aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan articulated that repeated operational failures are indications of an organisational failure which may involve maintenance, training, or supervision.

What's Next? Investigations and Passenger Safety

The DGCA has required inspections of APUs on all of Air India's fleet, with reports expected by August. At the same time, the airline is dealing with mounting pressure from India’s aviation ministry regarding safety violations as Air India has received nine Safety Violation notices since January. 

For now, passengers like Mehta feel both shaken and grateful: it was lucky the accident happened on the ground. Air India must take action to prevent further misfortune.

A Wake Up Call For Air India: Will This Spark Real Change? 

The APU fire is the latest event contributing to Air India's 2025 safety crisis. Although there were no reported fatalities, the airline's reputation has taken a beating. 

Now with an investigation in process, both passengers and regulators will want clarification and solutions.