‘Passengers Alarmed by ‘Hissing’ Noise on Air India Boeing 787 During Flight; Airline Addresses Incident’

Passengers aboard an Air India Boeing 787 flight from Delhi to Hong Kong faced a frightening situation mid-flight when the aircraft door began to emit unusual sounds. As reported by The Times of India, passengers noted that the door began to vibrate and produce hissing and growling sounds about an hour after departure on June 1.

The airline explained that the noise was coming from a ‘decorative panel’ in the door.

A user on social media shared a photo, allegedly taken during the flight, stating that when passengers raised concerns about the noise from the door, the cabin crew inserted napkins into the narrow gap.
In a LinkedIn post, a user remarked, “Please zoom in to get a detailed view of the door image shared by a passenger on Air India flight AI 314, which left New Delhi for Hong Kong on June 1, 2025.”
“About an hour into the flight, the door began to shake and make noise. It appeared that the door seal might have come loose due to air pressure. Flight attendants quickly responded, securing the door using paper napkins to compress it. Fortunately, the flight landed safely in Hong Kong.”

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In a statement cited by The Times of India, Air India stated that the aircraft underwent several engineering checks before being cleared for operation on June 1. The airline clarified that the ‘hissing’ sound was associated with a decorative panel.

“A hissing noise began to emerge from the decorative door panel mid-flight, and after confirming there was no safety risk, the crew took measures to mitigate the sound. Following the arrival at Hong Kong airport, the engineering team conducted inspections,” the statement read.

“All safety protocols were adhered to, and the aircraft was approved for service. No such noise was reported during the return flight AI315 from Hong Kong to Delhi. We emphasize that the safety of our customers and crew remains our highest priority,” the statement concluded.

This was not the first instance of a Boeing 787 experiencing door-related issues mid-flight. At least three other such incidents have been reported, the first occurring in 2019 with Japan Airlines and two more in 2022 involving TUI Airlines of Germany and American Airlines. In all three cases, the flights were redirected to their original airports due to the problem.