A dead baby was found abandoned inside the lavatory of an AirAsia India flight that landed in New Delhi on Wednesday, police and the airline said.

A woman who was on the flight and is suspected to have given birth onboard has been held by the police for questioning, an officer at the New Delhi airport police station said.

He said the plane was flying in from the eastern city of Guwahati, and declined to give further details immediately. AirAsia India said the newborn was found lifeless by staff onboard as they were preparing for landing.

AirAsia India, a low-cost carrier, is a joint venture between Malaysia's AirAsia Berhad and Indian conglomerate Tata Sons.

The airline said it had informed the country's aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, about the incident. "We will be assisting in the investigation and cooperating with all concerned agencies," it added.