NEW DELHI, 17 MAY

A Bengaluru-bound Air India aircraft returned to the national capital on Friday evening after a fire warning from its auxiliary power unit and made a safe landing at the airport. Following which a full emergency was declared at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport at around 5.52 pm.

There were around 175 people onboard the aircraft, which was operating the flight AI 807, sources said.

In a statement, an Air India Spokesperson said the aircraft returned to Delhi this evening after a fire warning from its auxiliary power unit.

“After the pilots exercised necessary protocols, the aircraft made an uneventful landing, and all passengers and crew deplaned at the aerobridge safely,” it said.

The Spokesperson said alternative arrangements have been made for the passengers to proceed back to their destination at the earliest.

Earlier, sources said there was a suspected fire in the air conditioning unit of the plane and that an emergency was declared. The plane made a safe precautionary landing at around 6.40 pm, they added. It was an A321 aircraft.

In connection with the suspected fire in the aircraft, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) pressed three fire tenders into service. “We received a call from IGI Airport at 6.15 pm regarding a fire,” a DFS official said.    —PTI