An Air India Express Airbus A320 was forced to perform an emergency landing after its right engine caught fire shortly after takeoff from Bengaluru.
The Airbus A320 with registration VT-ATF was performing flight IX1132 from Bengaluru to Kochi with 179 people on board including six crew members and two infants.
Flight IX1132 departed from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport at 10:49 PM. However, shortly after takeoff, the pilots observed flames coming from the right engine and immediately declared an emergency.
The crew declared a safe return to Bengaluru, successfully landing on the South Runway at 11:12 PM. Thankfully, all 179 people were safely evacuated via slides.
While the engine fire itself caused no injuries, some passengers sustained minor injuries during the emergency evacuation on the taxiway, which utilized inflatable slides.
Thankfully, a full-scale emergency was declared upon landing, and the fire was promptly extinguished. Both the airline and airport authorities are investigating the cause of the engine fire.
Passengers were provided with accommodation for the night, with some opting to stay at the airport and others being transferred to nearby hotels. The airline arranged an alternate flight for some passengers on Sunday morning, with the remaining passengers were accommodated on evening flights operated by Air India Express or other airlines.
