An Air India Express Flight which was take-off from Bengaluru to Kochi caught fire and forced to make emergency landing in Bengaluru on 18 May. The fire caught in the right engine of the flights.
The flight was carrying 179 passengers with 6 crew members from Bengaluru airport. No injuries reported.
Sources reported that crew members alerted the Air Traffic Controller, prompting a full-scale emergency declaration at the airport. Shortly after the emergency landing at 11:12 PM, the airport’s fire engines extinguished the fire.
According to a statement from Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), “On May 18, 2024, an Air India Express flight (IX 1132) from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing at Kempegowda International Airport at 11:12 PM due to a reported fire in one of the engines”.
The airport promptly declared a full-scale emergency, and the fire immediately take route for landing. All 179 passengers and six crew members successfully evacuated from the aircraft.
An Air India Express spokesperson explained that the flames that caught the right engine shortly after take-off. When they saw and knew about the flame the fight immediately led to the decision to return to Bengaluru for a precautionary landing. Ground services confirmed the flames, prompting an evacuation. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and the airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused, assuring passengers that alternative arrangements were made for their onward journey. An investigation with the regulator will conducted to determine the cause of the incident.
On the same day, another Air India Express flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru, carrying 137 passengers, made an emergency landing at Tiruchirappalli International Airport. This plane took the decision due to a technical glitch in the aircraft.
