High-Level Probe Into Kolkata Airport ‘Runaway’ SUV Crash

KOLKATA: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has initiated a high-level inquiry into the “bizarre” ground collision at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. On Tuesday night, an unmanned catering SUV belonging to Oberoi Flight Services rolled across the apron and smashed into the right engine of a parked IndiGo Airbus A320.

The aircraft, which was scheduled for Guwahati, remains grounded today as engineers assess “substantial structural damage” to the starboard engine.

The investigation is focusing on whether the vehicle’s handbrake failed or if there was a gross violation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the ground staff. Security footage is being reviewed to determine how the vehicle moved autonomously for nearly 50 meters without being intercepted.

The incident has raised serious questions about apron safety protocols at one of India’s busiest airports, with the DGCA likely to issue new directives for ground-handling agencies.