Air India Express flight experience a technical snag and returned safely to Abu Dhabi International Airport

Passengers are still waiting for a replacement flight that was originally planned for 9 p.m. on Friday but has now been pushed back until 1:50 a.m. on Saturday.

On Friday, an Abu Dhabi–Kozhikode Air India Express flight experienced a midair fright when flames were discovered in one of the engines.

According to Air India Express, a “technical issue” in one of the plane’s engines forced flight IX 348 from Abu Dhabi International Airport back to Kozhikode, Kerala, at an ungodly hour.

The airline stated in a statement, “The mechanical fault was found upon takeoff and the aircraft landed back safely, following all set down protocols, in Abu Dhabi International Airport with the 184 people on board.”

The appropriate authorities have been informed, and plans are in place to accommodate the guests. We are sorry for the trouble this has caused our passengers.

An engine flameout occurred at 1,000 feet, according to India’s civil aviation regulating authority the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

A replacement flight that was supposed to take off at 9 p.m. on Friday has been pushed back to 1:50 a.m. on Saturday, leaving passengers waiting.

Some of the 184 passengers are still said to be waiting at the airport, despite the fact that the vast majority have been relocated to nearby hotels. Passengers who did not want to give their names informed Khaleej Times that they had had harrowing moments in the air.

Originally scheduled to take off at 1.50 a.m. on a Friday, the flight was delayed by 15-20 minutes due to a delay in taxiing and takeoff. About 15 minutes into the flight, those of us sitting in the ABC section (the left side of the plane) felt a severe shaking, and then heard a loud noise. Someone on the plane informed the staff of the problem. The pilot reported that the plane had engine trouble and was making a return trip to Abu Dhabi. Passenger BN estimated that the trip would have taken 30–40 minutes and that they would have returned at 3 a.m.

Another passenger named AA recalled seeing massive flames and hearing passengers inform the crew.

After a hard day at work, I needed to take a break in my seat. A thudding noise erupted all of a sudden. Obviously, this was a major matter of some sort, but I had no idea what. A ball of flames with a plume of black smoke was visible to me. It was probably rather short. The plane would be making a return to Abu Dhabi in a little while. It was a terrifying ordeal.

According to BN, the rescheduled flight now departs at 1.50 a.m., leaving around 15-20 people detained at the airport.

Many families here have young children. The vast majority of them were moved to motels by morning, but others are still waiting at the airport. For example, those with visit visas that are about to expire are being urged to wait it out at the airport. The food that has been provided to us consists primarily of burgers, water, and salad. We will have been travelling, waiting at airports, and flying for well over 24 hours. On Friday night, we received word that the meeting time had been moved from 9 p.m. to 1:50 a.m. Saturday. BN stressed that they hoped to leave by 1:50am and that the flight would not be delayed any more.

Source:

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-passengers-recount-scary-moments-when-flames-were-detected-mid-air-on-abu-dhabi-kozhikode-fligh