New Delhi, July 23 -- A small fire was reported in a component of an Air India aircraft shortly after it arrived from Hong Kong at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday, marking the latest in a series of technical incidents affecting the carrier. Flight AI-315, an Airbus A321-LR operating from Hong Kong to Delhi , experienced an auxiliary power unit fire shortly after landing and parking at the gate. The incident occurred while 158 passengers had begun disembarking, with the APU automatically shutting down as per system design, but not before smoke was seen. "There was some damage to the aircraft; however, passengers and crew members disembarked normally and are safe. The aircraft has been grounded for further investigations and the regulator has been duly notified," an Air India spokesperson said. An official said the fault was detected after the aircraft was parked and engines shut down. The airline informed both the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and airport operator Delhi International Airport Ltd as per protocols. An APU is a small generator that provides electricity and compressed air to aircraft systems when the main engines are shut down. The incident adds to mounting safety concerns about Air India's operations. Aviation consultant Mark D Martin said the carrier has reported "multiple Category 1 serious incidents" in the past 15 days, including air turnbacks, a near-fatal runway excursion, and now an APU fire on a brand-new Airbus A321-LR. "This raises serious concerns about maintenance and operations. The DGCA must place Air India under heightened surveillance with rigorous spot checks on maintenance and continuing airworthiness monitoring," Martin said. "An APU fire on an aircraft less than two years old, still under manufacturer warranty, is alarming." Air India is already under intense scrutiny following the June 12 crash of Flight 171 that killed 260 people shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The accident, which marked the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the deadliest on Indian soil in three decades, has raised broader questions about aviation safety oversight in the country. The fire came a day after two separate Air India incidents on Monday....