In yet another low point in the Indian aviation sector, an Air Indian Express flight bound for Kochi in the southern state of Kerala was evacuated at Muscat airport in Oman on Wednesday (14) after fire was detected in one of the plane's engines just before take-off.
All 145 passengers and crew members on board were evacuated from the plane and shifted to the terminal building. No injuries were reported.
India's civil aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) said in a statement that a relief flight would be organised.
Air India Express was earlier a government carrier which is now owned by India's Tata Group.
A couple of months ago, an Air Indian Express aircraft flying between Calicut, Kerala, and Dubai, UAE, was diverted to Muscat after a burning smell was found. No serious damage was reported on that occasion.
In recent months, planes from IndiGo, a popular Indian low-cost airline, were found developing technical snags. One flight from Sharjah, UAE, to Hyderabad was even diverted to Karachi in Pakistan after its pilot found a technical defect.
India's civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held meetings with airlines and ministry officials and the regulator to ensure better oversight of flights.
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