Six passengers required medical attention after a Swiss International Air Lines flight bound for Zurich aborted take-off at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport early Sunday morning following a suspected engine failure, which triggered an emergency evacuation.
“The aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 operating as flight SWR146 from Delhi to Zurich, rejected take-off from runway 28 at 1.27 am on Sunday. The aircraft was carrying 245 people on board, and the pilot in command was Captain Guillermo Maximiliano Mulet,” an official aware of the matter said.
A statement issued by the airline said, “We are aware of an incident involving flight LX147 in Delhi. The aircraft involved is an Airbus A330, registration HB-JHK. SWISS has established a task force. There were 228 passengers and four infants on board. Shortly after take-off, just after 1 am local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the take-off and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft.”
Officials said the aircraft had arrived in Delhi from Zurich at 11.40 pm on Saturday.
A full emergency was declared at 1.35 am, and Runway 28 was blocked. Smoke was reported on the left side of the aircraft and fire near the right landing gear, an official aware of the development said.
“The crew rejected take-off at a speed of around 106 knots after he informed ATC (air traffic control) that he was rejecting take-off due to one engine failure. The crew immediately requested fire services, after which Crash Fire Tenders (CFT) and Follow-Me vehicles were allowed onto the runway,” another official said.
Officials said the airline crew evacuated passengers on the runway as a precautionary measure.
Six passengers are currently receiving medical attention. “All passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft via the emergency slides. Six passengers are currently undergoing medical evaluation. For a small number of individuals who could not use the slides, stairs were provided,” the airline statement said.
Delhi airport also issued a statement. “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,” it said.
Airline officials said passengers are currently being assisted and that local teams are working intensively to arrange rebookings or hotel accommodation.
“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. We are determined to fully understand what led to this incident. SWISS technical specialists will travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and initiate the next steps. At the same time, we are working intensively to find swift and suitable onward travel solutions for all passengers. The safety of our passengers and our crew is always our top priority,” the airline said.
