A Swiss International Air Lines flight bound for Zurich aborted take-off at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the early hours of Sunday following a suspected engine failure, triggering an emergency evacuation.
The aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 operating as flight SWR146, rejected take-off from runway 28 at around 1.27 am. Officials said the aircraft was carrying 245 people, including passengers and crew. The pilot aborted the take-off at a speed of about 106 knots after detecting an issue with one of the engines and immediately alerted air traffic control.
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A full emergency was declared shortly after, with smoke reported from one side of the aircraft and fire spotted near the landing gear. Emergency services, including crash fire tenders, were rushed to the runway. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated using emergency slides, while stairs were arranged for those unable to use them.
Initially, the airline reported six injuries, but later clarified that four passengers required medical attention and remain hospitalised, while a cabin crew member suffered a minor ankle sprain. Other crew members were unharmed.
The airline said a task force has been set up to investigate the incident and technical specialists will inspect the aircraft. Passengers have been accommodated in hotels and rebooked on alternative flights. Airport authorities confirmed that operations remained unaffected despite the emergency.
