Air India Express Flight Makes Precautionary Landing in Bengaluru.
Late Saturday night, an Air India Express flight traveling from Bengaluru to Kochi made an unscheduled landing back in Bengaluru after reporting an engine fire mid-flight.
The Air India Express IX 1132 took off from Kempegowda International Airport around 11 pm with 179 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. Minutes later, the pilot contacted Air Traffic Control, noticing flames in the right engine.
As a full emergency was declared, the aircraft landed safely in Bengaluru at 11:12 pm. Fire services immediately put out the engine blaze upon touchdown without any injuries.
Passengers and crew were evacuated from the plane using emergency slides as a precaution. Airport officials said the timely landing averted a crisis.
In a statement, Air India Express regretted the inconvenience and said a thorough regulatory investigation would determine the cause. Earlier in the day, another AI Express flight made an emergency landing in Trichy due to technical issues.
Meanwhile, the airline is working to arrange alternate routes for affected guests to reach their destination as soon as possible. Pilots and crew’s prompt response during the mid-air malfunction ensured all onboard reached safety despite the tense situation.
