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Hay found in aircraft wing delays Bangkok-bound Air India flight by 5 hours

An Air India flight bound for Bangkok was delayed by more than five hours at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after ground personnel discovered hay stuck beneath one of the aircraft's wings, according to a report by PTI. The incident took place on June 25. Flight AI 2354, operated using an Airbus A320Neo, was scheduled to depart at 7:45 am but only took off at around 1:00 pm after the foreign object was removed and the plane was cleared for takeoff. The airline confirmed the presence of hay beneath the left wing but said the source of the debris remained unidentified. 'This was immediately attended to, and the aircraft was subsequently cleared for operation,' Air India was quoted as saying. Crew change adds to delay of aircraft Due to the crew reaching their regulatory duty time limits, a fresh set of personnel had to be arranged before the flight could depart. Under civil aviation rules, flight crew must not exceed a specified number of duty hours to ensure operational safety. Passengers, who had already boarded, were disembarked and provided with refreshments during the delay. Details such as the number of passengers on board or the exact duration for which they remained at the airport were not disclosed by the airline. DGCA heightens security after Ahmedabad plane crash The handling agency responsible for the aircraft at Mumbai airport has been directed to carry out an investigation into the incident, which has also been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This comes as India's aviation regulator has heightened scrutiny on airlines following the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash. In a report released prior to the incident, the DGCA had flagged safety lapses. The findings, along with the plane crash, have led to increased pressure on all airlines. Air India has recently cut back on international and domestic flights and has also heightened safety checks, leading to delays and cancellations of several flights over the last week.