Indian Aerospace & Defence Bulletin
Bikram Vohra
08 Feb 2026
The brief, glancing contact between the wingtips of an Air India Airbus A320neo and an IndiGo Airbus A320 at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on the evening of February 3, 2026, constitutes a critical aviation safety event.
The Mumbai wingtip event is not an anomaly in India’s recent aviation landscape. It occurs amid heightened scrutiny of ground safety and operational incidents. The DGCA is currently examining several other notable events, and action must go beyond the band-aid stage.
In January 2026, an Air India A350 had a terrifying close call when one of its engines ingested a cargo container while taxiing at Delhi — a stark reminder that fast growth brings growing pains. India’s aviation sector is booming, airlines are snapping up new jets, launching routes, and pushing schedules to keep up with demand. That kind of expansion increases pressure on airports, ground crews, and air traffic controllers, strains already limited infrastructure, and makes ramp and taxiway operations denser and more error-prone. Incidents like the A350 engine strike aren’t just freak accidents; they point to systemic strain that needs coordinated fixes across staffing, training, equipment, and procedures before the pace of growth outruns safety margins.
