Two Air India planes made emergency landings on Monday at New Delhi's international airport, with the nose of one aircraft later hitting the ground as its front undercarriage collapsed while being towed away. No one was hurt in either incident, officials said.
Flights were delayed for several hours after the first plane, an Airbus A310 flying from Shanghai and Bangkok, made the emergency landing around 7 am (0130 GMT) following problems with its landing gear. The passengers disembarked safely onto the runway but as the plane was being towed away its front wheel collapsed, leaving its tail jutting out upwards onto the runway near one end of the strip.
The second emergency landing was of an Air India Boeing 767, which took place at 3:15 pm (0945 GMT). The pilot reported a technical fault and landed the plane with 54 passengers on board safely after at least two attempts, an Air India official said.
Television channels reported the pilot received a warning about a problem with the plane's undercarriage. The Air India official said a "defective instrument panel" led to the incident. Air India has a fleet of 48 planes, some of which are around 20 years old. Last year, India's national carrier ordered 68 Boeing aircraft, including the latest 787s as well as long-range 777s.