NEW DELHI — An Etihad Airways flight from Chennai to Abu Dhabi was canceled Tuesday after a technical problem was detected shortly before takeoff, leading to emergency precautions and the safe deboarding of passengers.
The Airbus A320 operating as flight EY343 was preparing to depart Chennai airport with about 280 passengers on board when engineers detected a hydraulic leak during pre-takeoff checks, according to reports.
The aircraft was declared “Aircraft on Ground,” or AOG, meaning it was not fit to operate until inspection and repairs were completed.
Passengers were safely removed from the plane, and the aircraft was later towed back to the parking bay for maintenance checks. No injuries were reported.
Initial reports said smoke or signs of fire had been seen near the aircraft’s left wing during takeoff preparations, prompting concern among passengers and airport authorities. Fire and rescue crews were deployed as a precaution.
Etihad later clarified that there was no fire on board the aircraft. In a statement quoted by Gulf News, the airline said the plane returned to the gate after a technical issue was detected before takeoff.
The airline said emergency services responded in line with standard safety procedures at Chennai airport and that their deployment was precautionary.
Etihad said passengers disembarked safely after the aircraft returned to the gate. The carrier said the flight was expected to depart after a delay of about three hours and apologized to passengers for the inconvenience.
The airline said staff were assisting travelers with onward journey arrangements and advised passengers to update their contact information through Etihad’s website to receive flight updates by text message and email.
The disruption comes as the Abu Dhabi-based airline has been expanding service to India, including twice-daily Airbus A321LR flights to Mumbai and New Delhi in addition to its existing double-daily wide-body operations on those routes. (Source: IANS)
