Hyderabad: Jazeera Airways flight catches fire after landing, passengers safe

An engine of a Jazeera Airways aircraft with 145 passengers on board caught fire after it landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Thursday but all disembarked unharmed, airport and airlines officials said.

The aircraft was towed away from the taxiway to the parking bay. Photo: Representational. Photo: Jazeera Airways

HYDERABAD: An engine of a Jazeera Airways aircraft with 145 passengers on board caught fire after it landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Thursday but all disembarked unharmed, airport and airlines officials said. Describing the incident as "a brief tailpipe flare", the airlines said it was quickly extinguished. "What took place was what the airline industry commonly refers to as a tailpipe flare. Our pilot immediately followed standard operating procedure by switching off fuel and ignition. "All safety procedures were followed, and all passengers disembarked normally," Jazeera Airways India spokesperson said in an e-mail reply. Airport sources said the Air Traffic Control and also some members of the ground staff noticed a "minor fire" soon after the plane landed and informed the pilot of J9-608 Kuwait-Hyderabad flight about it. The pilot shut down both the engines immediately. "The incident occurred at 1.30 am. There was a minor fire in the right engine and it died out after some time. However, a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter," the sources said. The aircraft was towed away from the taxiway to the parking bay.