Close shave as IndiGo flight aborts takeoff after engine catches fire at Ahmedabad airport
An IndiGo flight, heading to Diu, on Wednesday aborted its takeoff after one of the engines caught fire at Ahmedabad airport. All 60 passengers and crew were evacuated immediately.
The incident happened when the IndiGo flight 6E 7966, which is an ATR76, began its takeoff roll. The flight as supposed to take off around 11.15 am from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. As the plane started moving down the runway, the pilot sent a Mayday call to the air traffic control.
The pilots informed the authorities soon after discovering the technical issue, said a spokesperson of the airline. "Following the standard operating procedure, the pilots informed the authorities and returned the aircraft to the bay. The aircraft will undergo necessary checks and maintenance before resuming operations," the IndiGo spokesperson said.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and are making all efforts to minimize it by offering them refreshments, accommodation in the next available flight, or full refund against cancellation, as per their preference," they added.
This comes a day after an Air India flight from Hong Kong caught fire shortly after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday. The passengers and the crew were evacuated safely from the flight AI 315. The fire originated in the flight's Auxiliary Power Unit while the passengers were disembarking.
On Tuesday, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport received a hoax bomb threat, following which security agencies thoroughly swept the premises but they did not find anything suspicious. The bomb threat was sent by an unidentified person to the Ahmedabad through an email.
On June 12, Air India Flight AI 171 bound to London's Gatwick airport crashed 32 seconds after it took off from the Ahmedabad airport. It crashed into a hostel building at BJ Medical College, about 1.5 km from the airport, killing all but one of the 241 people aboard. Another 19 people on ground were also killed during the crash.
India