Indore, 5 Sep

A Delhi-Indore Air India Express flight having 161 passengers on board on Friday suffered a mid-air engine fault, with the pilot making a 'PAN-PAN' call to indicate non-life-threatening emergency, but the aircraft landed safely at the airport here with a delay of 20 minutes, an official said.

The aircraft landed at the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore and everyone on board was safe, he said.

"After receiving information about a technical fault in one of the engines of the Air India Express plane coming from Delhi to Indore, we took all precautions and the aircraft landed at Indore airport at 9.55 am. As per the schedule, it was supposed to land at the Indore airport at 9.35 am," Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport Director Vipinkant Seth told PTI.

The crew of this plane with flight number IX 1028 and all 161 passengers on board are completely safe, he said.

Seth said that the pilot of the plane sent a 'PAN-PAN' signal to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) after which fire and medical arrangements were made at the airport as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

'PAN-PAN' is an internationally valid signal used in maritime and air radio communication. In aviation, it indicates an urgent situation that requires assistance but is not immediately life-threatening. When a pilot sends a 'PAN-PAN' signal, it means that the crew needs immediate help from ATC or 'ground service'.