Air India Flight AI2379: Severe Turbulence Injures 17 Over India

Severe Turbulence Injures 17 on Air India Flight From Phuket

An Air India Airbus A320neo operating flight AI2379 from Phuket to New Delhi encountered severe turbulence Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, injuring 17 people. The incident occurred during cruise at approximately 36,000 feet over the state of Odisha, India, when the aircraft experienced a sudden altitude loss of roughly 300 feet. Cabin footage that circulated widely on social media showed passengers thrown violently from their seats, with some reportedly striking the overhead cabin ceiling.

Thirteen passengers and four cabin crew members were among the injured. Air India characterized the event as a "brief turbulence-related event" involving a "momentary change in altitude," but medical records tell a more serious story: seven passengers were admitted to Fortis Hospital under a Code Yellow emergency protocol. Most passengers have since been discharged; four crew members remain under medical care with moderate injuries.

DGCA Grounds Aircraft, Opens Investigation

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has opened a formal investigation, with an official attributing the altitude drop to a "suspected transient technical fault" that occurred outside Indian airspace. The aircraft, registered VT-EXO, has been grounded and placed in a maintenance hangar pending a full technical inspection. Both the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder have been secured for analysis. Flight tracking data confirmed the abrupt descent roughly two and a half hours after departure. Aviation safety experts say the incident is a sobering reminder that clear-air turbulence can strike without warning, making seatbelt compliance critical throughout any flight.