Air India Boeing 787 Emits ‘Hissing’ Noise, Alarming Passengers During Flight; Airline Addresses Concerns

Passengers aboard an Air India Boeing 787 flight from Delhi to Hong Kong experienced a frightening moment mid-flight when the aircraft door began emitting unusual sounds. As reported by The Times of India, passengers noted the door started to vibrate and produce hissing and growling noises roughly an hour after take-off on June 1.

The airline indicated that the sound was coming from a ‘decorative panel’ within the door.

A social media user shared a photo, allegedly taken during the flight, stating that when passengers raised concerns about the sound from the door, the cabin crew inserted napkins into the narrow gap.
In a LinkedIn post regarding the incident, a user mentioned, “Please zoom in to get a closer look at the image of the door, which was shared by one of the passengers traveling on Air India flight AI 314 that departed from New Delhi to Hong Kong on June 1, 2025.”
“About one hour after take-off, the door began to shake and produce noise. It appeared that the door seal had come loose because of the air pressure. Flight attendants immediately responded, holding and pushing the door back, using paper napkins to secure it. Fortunately, the flight landed safely in Hong Kong.”

According to a statement referenced by The Times of India, Air India confirmed that the aircraft underwent several engineering checks before being permitted for operations on June 1. The airline clarified that the ‘hissing’ sound was caused by a decorative panel.

“A hissing sound started coming from the decorative door panel mid-flight, and after determining there was no safety risk, the crew took steps to reduce the noise. Upon landing at Hong Kong airport, the aircraft was inspected by the engineering team,” it stated.

“All safety standards were met, and the aircraft was approved for service. There were no similar noises during the return flight AI315 from Hong Kong to Delhi. We would like to emphasize that the safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority,” the statement concluded.

This was not the first instance of a Boeing 787 reporting an issue with the door mid-flight. There have been at least three prior occurrences, starting with Japan Airlines in 2019, and two others in 2022 from TUI Airlines and American Airlines. In all three cases, flights were diverted back to their originating airports due to the problem.