Swiss flight aborts Delhi take-off after engine fire; 6 hurt

A Swiss International Air Lines flight bound for Zurich aborted its takeoff from New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport in the early hours of April 26 after one of its engines failed and caught fire. Six passengers were injured due to the mishap, according to reports.

Flight LX147, an Airbus A330, with registration HB-JHK, was accelerating on runway 28 at around 1:08 am when the crew detected a failure in engine number one. It was followed by a fire alert. Reports claim the aircraft had reached a speed of 104 knots at the time of the abort. There were 228 passengers and four infants on board the flight.

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Delhi Airport, in an official statement said, "In the early hours of this morning, a full emergency was declared at Delhi Airport involving Swiss International Airlines flight LX 147 (DEL-ZRH) on Runway 28/10. All prescribed safety protocols were promptly executed, and passengers were safely evacuated. Airport operations remained unaffected."

Passenger Advisory issued at 09:30 hrs.For Live flight status: https://t.co/1CVJNL6Ry1#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory #DELAdvisory pic.twitter.com/YCjt6yShie

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) April 26, 2026

Meanwhile, in an official statement, the airlines said, “Shortly after takeoff, just after 1:00 am. local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft.”

Slides deployed for swift exit

All passengers and crew were evacuated via emergency slides deployed on the runway. For a small number of individuals unable to use the slides, stairs were provided. Runway 28 was subsequently closed pending removal of the aircraft.

A passenger from the flight X shared alleged clips of the incident on the social media platforms:

Emergency evacuation from Swiss Delhi - Zurich flight LX0147 pic.twitter.com/rvzhCPb3bg

— Ishan Jain (@JainIshan316) April 25, 2026

Six passengers sustained injuries were taken to Medanta Hospital for treatment. The exact cause of the injuries has not been officially stated, though they are believed to have occurred during the high-speed emergency slide descent.

Airline sets up a task force

Swiss said it had established a task force to manage the situation. Local teams were working to arrange hotel accommodation and rebookings for all affected passengers, who were issued contact cards for direct communication with the airline.

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“Such a situation is stressful for everyone involved. Our local teams are taking care of our passengers on site and are in direct contact with them. We are working closely with the local authorities. We are determined to fully understand what led to this incident. SWISS technical specialists will travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and initiate the next steps. At the same time, we are working intensively to find swift and suitable onward travel solutions for all passengers. The safety of our passengers and our crew is always our top priority,” the airline said.