Six passengers suffered injuries after the engine of a Swiss International Air Lines plane burst into flames during take-off at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India
Six plane passengers were injured while being evacuated via emergency slides after an engine caught on fire during take-off.
Footage filmed from inside the cabin shows firefighters hosing down the affected engine at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, in the early hours yesterday.
Other clips show passengers sliding down onto the tarmac. According to local reports, one of the 15-year-old Airbus A330-343’s two engines caught fire seconds into the take-off run.
Swiss International Air Lines said in a statement: “There were 228 passengers and four infants on board. Shortly after takeoff, just after 1am local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines.
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“The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft. Six passengers currently receiving medical attention, crew unharmed.”
The injuries are believed to have been minor and sustained during the evacuation. Swiss said the affected passengers were being rebooked onto other flights or accommodated in hotels.
The airline added: “We are determined to fully understand what led to this incident. Swiss technical specialists will travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and initiate the next steps.
“At the same time, we are working intensively to find swift and suitable onward travel solutions for all passengers. The safety of our passengers and our crew is always our top priority.”
This comes after the boss of a major airline warned more flight cancellations are coming after his firm was forced to axe some journeys from the UK.
Norse Atlantic Airways CEO Eivind Roald has already cancelled flights from London Gatwick Airport to Los Angeles. He says he had to act after the price of jet fuel skyrocketed “more than 100 per cent after a few days”.
Dozens of airlines across the world have cancelled flights as Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz – a critical waterway for global supplies – continues.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr Roald revealed he expects airlines to keep cancelling flights. He said: “From our side we will continue flying from London Gatwick and from Athens and Rome this summer, we don’t have any plans to cancel more flights.
“When it comes to our competitors, I can’t really say, I assume you will see more cancellations coming, we often see it coming in short haul flights in Europe. The long haul flights are still there.”
