Panic At IGI: Swiss Air's Delhi-Zurich Flight Engine Fails, Catches Fire During Takeoff At Delhi Airport; 6 Passengers Injured

New Delhi: A major aviation emergency unfolded late Sunday night at Terminal 3 of Delhi's IGI Airport as six passengers were injured and ​hospitalised after a ‌Swiss Air Flight LX147 (Delhi-Zurich) aborted ​takeoff run at the Indira ​Gandhi International Airport following an engine fire incident.

According to sources, six passengers of the total of 232 passengers on board the Swiss Air flight sustained minor injuries during evacuation via chute. The take-off of the flight was aborted after smoke was observed from the left-side wheel, the sources told ANI.

What the airline said?

Flight No. LX147, an Airbus A330, began its takeoff run at 1.08 am when one of the engines failed and a fire broke out, officials said.

“We are aware of an incident involving flight LX147 in Delhi. The aircraft involved is an Airbus A330 (HB-JHK). SWISS has established a task force. There were 228 passengers and 4 infants on board. Shortly after takeoff, just after 1 am local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft,” SWISS said in a statement.

"Shortly after takeoff, just after 1 am local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. 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 airline said.

SWISS stated that stairs were made available for the few passengers unable to use the emergency slides. The airline added that local teams are currently assisting travelers with hotel stays and intensive rebooking efforts.

"They have received contact cards to ensure we can reach them reliably," SWISS said. "Such a situation is stressful for everyone involved. Our local teams are taking care of our passengers on site and are in direct contact with them. We are working closely with the local authorities."

Delhi airport statement

The Delhi Airport, meanwhile, said that the operations remained unaffected. 

In a statement on X, the Airport said, “In the early hours of this morning, a full emergency was declared at Delhi Airport involving Swiss International Airlines flight LX 147 (DEL-ZRH) on Runway 28/10. All prescribed safety protocols were promptly executed, and passengers were safely evacuated. Airport operations remained unaffected.”

Data from Flightradar24 indicates the aircraft was traveling at 104 knots when the engine failed, prompting the crew to abort the takeoff. Runway 28 remains closed to all traffic until the plane can be cleared from the area.

How incident took place

The incident involving Swiss Air Flight LX147 (DEL-ZRH) occurred around 2 am. As per sources, 232 passengers were onboard. Assessing the situation, the crew members immediately declared an emergency. 

Meanwhile, at 2:06 am, the fire department was alerted to a "full hydraulic emergency" on Runway 28 (the night runway) at IGI Airport. Upon receiving the alert, five fire tenders were dispatched to the scene. According to the fire department, the situation was brought under control, and a safe landing of the aircraft was successfully executed around 3:30 am.