The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched an investigation into an Air India flight that experienced a sudden altitude variation of around 300 feet during cruise, leaving 20 passengers and four cabin crew members injured.
The incident involved Air India flight AI 2379, an Airbus A320 aircraft with registration VT-EXO, operating from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, 2026.
The aircraft subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi.
The flight was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members comprising two pilots and six cabin crew. The total number of people onboard was 145.
AAIB takes up investigation
The AAIB has taken up the investigation based on information received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the nature of the occurrence.
The investigation is being conducted under the applicable provisions and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) protocols. The requisite notifications have also been made to ICAO and the concerned states.
As part of the international investigation framework, the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA), France, along with technical representatives from Airbus, is providing technical assistance to the AAIB.
The assistance includes relevant technical information and design documentation in accordance with the applicable ICAO framework.
Aircraft, flight data under examination
The AAIB is currently collecting, preserving and examining technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence relating to the incident.
The investigation includes examination of the aircraft and its systems, recorded flight data, operational and maintenance records, medical information and interviews with people concerned.
The bureau said all material evidence would be examined in its entirety before any conclusions are drawn.
The investigation is aimed at establishing the circumstances and contributing factors associated with the altitude variation and identifying appropriate safety measures to prevent a recurrence.
No conclusion on cause yet
The AAIB has cautioned against drawing conclusions about the cause of the incident while the investigation remains underway.
It said the investigation is independent, evidence-based and comprehensive, and that no inference regarding the cause should be drawn from any isolated piece of information.
The bureau also pointed out that certain records, statements, medical information and other material collected during the investigation are protected and confidential under the applicable investigation framework.
Maintaining confidentiality, it said, is necessary to ensure a fair, objective and technically sound determination of the facts.
Preliminary findings to follow
The AAIB has said it will conduct a thorough examination of all material facts and relevant evidence and issue its preliminary findings within the stipulated timeframe under applicable provisions and ICAO protocols.
Further information will be released at the appropriate stage of the investigation.
The investigation comes against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of aviation safety following incidents involving commercial aircraft, making the findings of the AI 2379 probe relevant not only for Air India but also for wider flight-safety practices.
For now, the AAIB has stressed that its sole objective is to determine what happened, identify the contributing factors and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence, with aviation safety remaining its overriding priority.