NEW DELHI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Indian civil aviation authorities Saturday initiated a probe after five passengers sustained injuries when one of the windows of a bus carrying them to an aircraft shattered due to jet blast from another plane that was taxiing at Delhi airport.
Jet blast is the strong force of hot air that aircraft engines push behind, particularly on or before take-off.
The incident took place late Friday evening when a bus of low-cost private carrier Indigo ferrying passengers to a flight to Mumbai was hit by the jet blast from another low-cost carrier SpiceJet that was taxiing after landing hit the vehicle.
"A probe has been ordered into the incident to ascertain how the bus came close to an aircraft that was taxiing after landing at the domestic terminal of Indira Gandhi International Airport," an official of Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.
While Indigo has blamed SpiceJet for the incident, the latter said a probe will establish the exact cause.
"IndiGo Coach number 34 was parked at Bay 17 yesterday (Friday) for boarding of passengers on flight 6E-191 enroute Delhi-Mumbai. At the same time, an arriving aircraft of Spicejet SG-253 took a turn to park at the allocated bay. The jet blast from the aircraft broke the right front window glass of the coach," IndiGo said in a statement.
On its part, SpiceJet said: "It is also too early to apportion responsibility as the pilots were following normal procedures ... In any case we have informed the regulator and the airline is closely cooperating with all assistance."
