Air India Express makes emergency landing in southern India after engine catch fire
by ShravyaAn Air India Express flight made an emergency landing in southern India’s Karnataka after one of its engines caught fire shortly after takeoff.
The incident took place at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru on May 18.
Visuals showed flames were seen emanating from the right engine and passengers were panicking inside the cabin, with crew members urging them to remain seated and await further instructions.
According to reports the Airbus A320 aircraft departed from Terminal 2 at 10:49 PM and returned for an emergency landing on the South Runway at 11:12 PM. According to Bangalore International Airport Limited, a full-scale emergency was declared, and the fire was extinguished upon landing.
“As flames were seen emanating from the right engine after takeoff, the flight elected to return and carried out a precautionary landing,”. “The ground services also reported flames, resulting in an evacuation. The crew accomplished an evacuation with no injuries to any guests.”
A source reported that the engine caught fire minutes after takeoff. The pilot informed Air Traffic Control at 11:02 PM, prompting an emergency declaration at 11:03 PM. The affected engine was immediately shut down, and the aircraft landed using the left engine.
Emergency services, including firefighting and medical teams, were on standby. Upon landing, all passengers were safely escorted from the aircraft.
Passengers were provided accommodation for the night, with some opting to stay at nearby hotels and others remaining at the airport. An alternative flight was arranged for Sunday at 11:30 AM for 122 passengers, with the remaining passengers scheduled to fly later in the day.