Air India Express flight IX549 from Trivandrum to Muscat was halted and passengers were deboarded after smoke was detected before takeoff.
Passengers onboard an Air India Express flight from Kerala’s Trivandrum to Muscat in Oman were deboarded on Friday after smoke was detected on the aircraft shortly before take-off.
According to The Arabian Stories, flight IX549 was stopped immediately after it had begun moving on the runway, as the cabin crew saw smoke and noticed an unusual odour.
The incident was reported at around 10.30 am. There were 142 passengers onboard the aircraft, and they were offloaded for inspection, news agency PTI quoted an airport source as saying.
There were no reports of any injuries.
In a statement, Air India Express acknowledged the incident and said an alternative aircraft was arranged for the passengers, and that an investigation would be taken up.
“Due to suspected smoke observed during take-off initiation, one of our aircraft returned to the bay at Thiruvananthapuram airport. An alternative aircraft has been arranged for the onward journey of our guests.”
“An investigation will be conducted to determine the exact nature of the issue,” it said.
“We regret the inconvenience while prioritising safety in every aspect of our operations,” the airline’s statement read.
