Kochi bound Air India Express flight makes emergency landing due to engine fire
An Air India flight made an emergency landing at Bangalore Airport following an engine fire.
An Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing in Bengaluru at 11.22 pm after a fire was discovered in one of the engines, the Bangalore International Airport Limited said on Sunday.
All passengers and crew were evacuated, and no one was injured, according to an Air India Express statement. According to sources, the fire was discovered minutes after takeoff.
The crew notified the Air Traffic Controller, and a full-scale emergency was declared. The fire was extinguished shortly after the emergency landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru.
“On May 18, 2024, IX 1132 from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing at BLR Airport at 2312 hrs, due to a reported fire in one of the engines,” a spokesperson of the BIAL, which manages KIA, said in a statement.
An #airindiaflight had to return to #BangaloreAirport after declaring #fireemergency on May 18 at 11.22 pm. The plane's right engine caught fire shortly after take off. pic.twitter.com/Neu5RfjOKQ
— Punenow News (@itspunenow) May 19, 2024
A full-scale emergency was declared, and the fire was quickly extinguished upon landing. The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) spokesperson confirmed that all 179 passengers and six crew members were successfully evacuated from the aircraft.
According to an Air India Express spokesperson, due to suspected flames from the right engine after takeoff, the Bengaluru-Kochi flight ‘opted’ to return and make a precautionary landing in Bengaluru. The ground services also reported flames, prompting 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,” it said.
“A thorough investigation with the regulator shall be accomplished to establish the cause,” it said.
This comes on the heels of two more close calls in the past two days. In one incident, an Air India flight collided with a tug tractor at Pune Airport and an Air India flight made an emergency landing at Delhi Airport due to a suspected fire onboard while in flight.
