An Air India flight bound for Indore returned to Delhi on Sunday morning after one of its engines caught fire shortly after take-off, the airline said. All passengers and crew were safe.
Flight AI2913 departed Delhi for Indore when cockpit crew noticed flames in the right engine minutes after take-off. The pilots shut down the affected engine and turned the aircraft back to Delhi, where it landed safely, an Air India spokesperson said.
The aircraft, which has two engines, continued flying on the left engine until it made its return. Passengers were unharmed, though the incident caused alarm on board.
Air India said the aircraft is being inspected to determine the cause of the malfunction and that an alternative flight was arranged for passengers to continue their journey to Indore. The carrier apologised for the disruption.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India’s safety record. In June, an Ahmedabad-to-London Gatwick service crashed shortly after departure, killing all 260 people on board and several residents on the ground, raising concerns about the airline’s operational safety.
