A SpiceJet flight with 199 passengers and crew on board had to make an emergency landing within minutes of taking off from the Chennai airport on Thursday afternoon as one of its tyres burst, said officials.
Chennai airport director G Chandramouli confirmed that no passenger was injured in the incident that took place at 2.20pm on Thursday.
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.
“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.