Overview
- An Air India Airbus A321 operating flight AI2651 struck its tail during landing at Bengaluru and landed safely with no injuries reported, after which all passengers disembarked normally.
- The aircraft was taken out of service for a detailed structural and systems inspection and the return leg AI2652 was cancelled while the airline arranges alternative travel for affected passengers.
- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has begun a formal investigation and the two pilots who operated the flight have been off‑rostered pending the probe.
- Multiple sources say the A321 encountered wake turbulence from a preceding heavy freighter and performed a go‑around before the tail‑strike, but investigators will examine flight data and engineering checks to confirm the sequence and cause.
- The event arrives on the same day as a separate Air India engine‑fire alarm at Delhi that also landed safely, and the inspections and regulator review could lead to aircraft downtime, operational disruption, and closer safety scrutiny of the carrier.