Passengers describe a terrifying few minutes of screaming and stretchers after Flight AI2379 suddenly lost altitude over cruise — but the aircraft landed safely, and Air India says no injuries were life-threatening.
An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi turned into a mid-air scare on Tuesday morning after the aircraft hit severe turbulence and abruptly dropped roughly 300 feet, injuring more than a dozen people on board.
Flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 carrying 134 passengers, took off from Phuket at around 8:25 am local time and landed safely at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport shortly before 11 am, according to flight-tracking data. Medical teams were waiting on the tarmac by the time it touched down.
What Happened in the Air
According to a civil aviation official, the pilot in command reported that one cabin crew member suffered a serious injury, a second crew member was also hurt, and several passengers sustained minor injuries when the aircraft suddenly lost around 300 feet of altitude during cruise. Aviation experts say the sudden drop was likely caused by the plane flying through a pocket of severe turbulence, or a strong updraft or downdraft — the kind of atmospheric disturbance that can jolt an aircraft even when pilots are following the correct flight path.
Passenger accounts from on board describe a frightening scene. One traveler told the news agency ANI that the flight had been airborne for about ninety minutes and most passengers were asleep when the aircraft suddenly lurched and appeared to turn, with the disturbance lasting two to three minutes; by his account, a large share of those on board were hurt. Another passenger, posting on X, said his brother and fellow travelers suffered serious injuries and had to be carried off on stretchers and in wheelchairs, adding that he was relieved the plane landed safely.
Reported injury tolls have varied slightly across sources as the story develops, with figures ranging from around 12 to 14 passengers and crew affected — a discrepancy likely to narrow once authorities complete their assessment.
Air India’s Response
Air India confirmed the incident in an official statement, describing it as a brief turbulence-related event during cruise that caused a momentary change in altitude. The airline said the aircraft landed safely, all passengers and crew disembarked without incident, and no serious injuries had been reported at the time of the statement. A small number of passengers and crew requiring medical assessment were taken to airport medical facilities for precautionary evaluation, the airline added, saying it was cooperating fully with authorities investigating the incident.
Some of the injured were subsequently moved to hospitals in Delhi for further evaluation, including Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj, which activated an emergency response protocol and ran scans on affected passengers, and Medanta, where additional patients were taken for precautionary care.
What Comes Next
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is expected to investigate the circumstances behind the sudden altitude change, a routine step following any turbulence incident involving passenger injuries. For now, Air India says its focus is on supporting those affected as the inquiry gets underway.
