Investigation Begins After Swiss International Flight Aborts Take-off at Delhi Airport

Apr 26, 2026, 22:16
AsiaWorld

Introduction

On Sunday, April 26, a Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A330-300 heading to Zurich stopped its take-off at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The crew decided to abort the flight due to a suspected engine failure and a possible fire.

Main Body

The incident happened around 01:00 local time on Runway 28. According to official reports, the aircraft was accelerating at 104 to 106 knots when the crew detected a problem with engine number one. As a result, the pilots stopped the take-off and declared a full emergency at 01:35. Witnesses reported seeing smoke on the left side of the plane and fire near the right landing gear, although later inspections confirmed that the tyres were not damaged. Emergency teams evacuated 245 people, including 232 passengers and 13 crew members. Most people left the plane using inflatable emergency slides, while others used stairs. This process caused minor injuries to four passengers, including one small fracture, and a sprained ankle for one crew member. The airline clarified that only four passengers were injured, despite earlier reports suggesting six. Those affected were taken to Medanta Hospital or treated at Terminal 3. Airport authorities and the Crisis Management Centre coordinated the response. The remaining 227 passengers were moved to a reception centre, given hotel rooms, and booked on new flights. Although Runway 28 was blocked for a short time, officials emphasized that overall airport operations continued as normal and other flight schedules were not affected.

Conclusion

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has labeled the event a 'serious incident' and has started a formal probe. Swiss International Air Lines is sending technical experts to Delhi to help the AAIB find the exact cause of the engine failure.

Vocabulary Learning

abort (v.)
to stop a plan or action in progress / 取消
Example:The crew decided to abort the take‑off.
accelerating (v.)
to increase speed / 加速
Example:The aircraft was accelerating at 104 knots.
emergency (adj.)
requiring immediate action / 緊急
Example:Emergency teams evacuated 245 people.
incident (n.)
an event, especially one that is not good / 事件
Example:The AAIB labeled the event a serious incident.
probe (n.)
an investigation / 調查
Example:The AAIB has started a formal probe.

Sentence Learning

The airline clarified that only four passengers were injured, despite earlier reports suggesting six.
Passive Voice: The sentence uses passive construction 'were injured' to focus on the injured passengers rather than the airline.被動語態: 這句話使用被動語態，強調受傷的乘客而非執行者（航空公司）。
Although Runway 28 was blocked for a short time, officials emphasized that overall airport operations continued as normal and other flight schedules were not affected.
Contrast Conjunction: The word 'although' introduces a contrast, showing that despite the runway being blocked, operations continued normally.對比連詞: 這句話使用 'although' 這個對比連詞，說明儘管跑道被封，機場運營仍保持正常。
The incident happened around 01:00 local time on Runway 28.
Adverbial Time Phrase: The phrase 'around 01:00 local time' indicates when the incident occurred.時間副詞片語: 時間副詞片語 'around 01:00 local time' 指示事件發生的時間。
The aircraft was accelerating at 104 to 106 knots when the crew detected a problem with engine number one.
Subordinate Clause: The clause 'when the crew detected a problem with engine number one' is a temporal subordinate clause that provides the time context.從屬子句: 從屬子句 'when the crew detected a problem with engine number one' 表示時間背景。