New Delhi: An IndiGo Airbus A320neo aircraft was grounded at Gorakhpur airport after it suffered damage during a landing approach on August 19, marking another tail-strike-related incident involving the airline’s aircraft.
The aircraft, operating flight 6E 2381 from Delhi to Gorakhpur, carried out a go-around during its initial landing approach, IndiGo said. It subsequently returned and landed safely at Gorakhpur, with all passengers and crew disembarking without incident.
“Scratches were observed around APU inlet during regular post flight walk-around,” an IndiGo spokesperson said. The aircraft is undergoing maintenance and will resume operations only after obtaining the necessary clearances.
The incident is the latest in a series of tail-strike incidents involving IndiGo aircraft. According to available records, it is the eighth reported incident involving an IndiGo Airbus A321 tail strike.
A tail strike occurs when the rear underside of an aircraft makes contact with the runway during take-off or landing, potentially causing structural damage and requiring detailed inspection before the aircraft can return to service.
The latest incident also comes as an earlier investigation into repeated tail-strike incidents involving IndiGo’s Airbus A321neo aircraft remains pending. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had launched a probe in September 2024 following multiple such incidents. The ambit of the probe was expanded in March 2025 following more incidents. The report of that investigation is yet to be released. In 2024 aviation regulator DGCA had imposed a Rs 30 lakh fine on the airline over similar incidents.
