New Delhi: A Zurich-bound Swiss International Air Lines flight carrying 232 passengers aborted its departure at Delhi airport early Sunday morning following an engine malfunction, according to official sources.

Six passengers are currently undergoing medical evaluation, a spokesperson for the airline—commonly known as Swiss—confirmed, though specific details regarding their conditions were not provided.

The incident involved flight LX147, an Airbus A330 aircraft. Witnesses reported seeing smoke emanating from the port side of the landing gear during the takeoff roll. The flight crew immediately rejected the takeoff, triggering a full emergency response from airport authorities.

Emergency Evacuation

In a formal statement, the airline clarified that the manifest included 228 adult passengers and four infants.

"Shortly after takeoff, just after 1:00 am local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines," the spokesperson stated. "The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft."

The evacuation was conducted via emergency slides for the majority of those on board. "All passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft via the emergency slides. Six passengers are currently undergoing medical evaluation," the spokesperson added. "For a small number of individuals who were unable to use the slides, stairs were provided."

Investigation and Operations

Swiss announced that technical specialists will be dispatched to Delhi to inspect the A330 and determine the root cause of the engine failure. Meanwhile, the carrier stated it was "working intensively" to secure alternative travel arrangements for the displaced passengers.

Delhi Airport authorities confirmed the incident took place on Runway 28/10 and noted that the swift response prevented any broader disruption to the facility's schedule.

"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," the airport stated. "All prescribed safety protocols were promptly executed, and passengers were safely evacuated. Airport operations remained unaffected."

With inputs from ANI