BEA - Office of Investigations and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety of the French Republic

08/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/13/2026 20:32

Accident to the Airbus A320 registered VT-EXO operated by Air India on 04/08/2026 en route

Accident to the Airbus A320 registered VT-EXO operated by Air India on 04/08/2026 en route

Momentary altitude excursion during cruise

Responsible entity

India - AAIB

Preliminary data based on the notification from the Indian authorities:

In cruise, aircraft suddenly dropped 300 ft causing serious injuries to few passengers and cabin crew.

General information
Local date 04/08/2026
Responsible entity India - AAIB
State or area of occurrence India
Location En route
Human consequences Serious
Aircraft consequences Minor
Occurrence class Accident
File number BEA2026-0338
Flight Information
Aircraft category Aeroplane - Large aeroplane
Operator India - Air India
Manufacturer / Model AIRBUS - A320
Aircraft Registration VT-EXO
State of registry India
Last departure point Thailand - VTSP (HKT) : Phuket
Planned destination India - VIDP (DEL) : Delhi/Indira Gandhi Intl
Flight phase En route
Serial number 8470
Operator Type AG
Operation Type Commercial Air Transport - Passenger - Airline

BEA is the French air safety investigation authority for civil aviation. The sole objective of the investigation is to improve air safety. It is intended neither to apportion blame nor to assess responsiblity.

BEA - Office of Investigations and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety of the French Republic published this content on August 14, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 14, 2026 at 02:32 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]