A SpiceJet flight with 199 passengers and crew on board made an emergency landing within minutes of taking off at Chennai airport on Thursday afternoon after one of its tyres burst, officials said.
Chennai airport director G Chandramouli said no passenger was injured in the incident that took place at 2.20pm.
The pilots of another plane on the runway noticed fuel residue on the tarmac after the SpiceJet flight left for Delhi and informed the airport authorities, who recalled the flight.
Chandramouli said the pilots of the SpiceJet plane made an emergency landing and another tyre burst on the starboard side in the process. The aircraft also experienced a hydraulic system failure and caused a groove in the runway, he added.
The incident has affected flight schedules, and delays are expected after the main runway was closed and the second runway was made operational for both takeoff and landings.
“We have inspected the tarmac and the runway and are doing the necessary repair and it will be ready soon,” the top airport official said.
It could take between three to four hours for the main runway to become operational, he added.
{{/usCountry}}It could take between three to four hours for the main runway to become operational, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Chennai airport handles 410 landings and takeoffs in a single day.