An Air India Express flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Bengaluru Airport (BLR) after one of the A320 aircraft’s engines caught fire.
Flight IX 1132 was enroute to Cochin International Airport (COK) in Kerala from Bengaluru Airport on May 18, 2024.
Shortly after takeoff, engine number two of the A320 (VT-ATF) burst into flames.
Different passengers onboard the flight were able to capture video footage of the fire through the plane window and uploaded it on social media platforms, including Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
The flight took place late in the evening and so the glow and extent of the fire in the engine is very evident in the videos.
In one of the clips, a flight attendant can be heard yelling, “We are just waiting for the captain’s instructions, please be seated!”
The flight crew immediately decided to return to Bengaluru Airport where they performed a safe emergency landing.
After landing, the plane was successfully evacuated, and all 179 passengers and six crew members were found to be uninjured.
A spokesperson for Bengaluru Airport told The Times of India that “a full-scale emergency was declared and the fire promptly extinguished upon landing”.
An airline spokesperson has announced that a “thorough investigation” will be soon conducted to determine what caused the engine fire.
