An Air India Express flight to Kochi was forced to make an emergency landing in Bengaluru after its right engine caught fire following take-off on May 18.
The flight was carrying 179 passengers and six crew members from Bengaluru, and no injuries were reported.
Sources said that crew members alerted the Air Traffic Controller, leading to a full-scale emergency being declared at the airport. Shortly after the emergency landing at 11:12pm, the fire was extinguished by the airport's fire engines.
A statement from Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates the Kempegowda International Airport, said: "On May 18, 2024, IX 1132 from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing at Bengaluru airport at 11:12 pm, due to a reported fire in one of the engines"
It further added: "A full-scale emergency was declared, and the fire was promptly extinguished upon landing. All 179 passengers and six crew members were successfully evacuated from the aircraft."
An Air India Express spokesperson, in a statement, said: “Due to suspected flames from the right engine after takeoff, the Bengaluru- Kochi flight elected to return and carried out a precautionary landing at Bengaluru.
"The ground services also reported flames, resulting in an evacuation. The crew accomplished an evacuation with no injuries to any guests. We regret the inconvenience this has caused and are working to provide alternative arrangements for our guests to reach their destination as soon as possible.
A thorough investigation with the regulator shall be accomplished to establish the cause.”
Passenger's account
Jeffy Cherry, a passenger, told Moneycontrol that the flight was supposed to take off from T2 of Bengaluru airport at 9:45 pm on Saturday but finally took off at 10:50 pm. "After a few minutes, some passengers saw a fire, and everyone started panicking and screaming. Passengers are still at the airport, and the airline is now saying it will take off at 9:30 am. Senior citizens and children are still stranded at T2 of the airport."
Some passengers argued with airline staff over the delay in the departure of the flight and the failure to provide alternate flights. Sources in Air India Express said 122 passengers boarded from the airport at around 11:30 am, and other passengers will be accommodated on other flights.
According to flight data tracking website Flightradar24, it was an A320 aircraft.
On May 18, an Air India Express flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru with 137 passengers made an emergency landing at Tiruchirappalli International Airport on Saturday due to a “technical glitch” in the aircraft.
On May 17, a Bengaluru-bound Air India aircraft returned to Delhi after a fire warning from its auxiliary power unit. There were around 175 people onboard the aircraft (A 321).
Also, read: 'Full emergency': Air India flight returns to Delhi after fire warning
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