Dubai-bound flight delayed after smoke comes out of plane at Chennai airport

Although the actual cause of the smoke is yet to be determined, sources suggest that heat generated due to excess fuel in the fuel tank could be the reason behind it.

In Short

• Smoke detected from flight's tail during refuelling
• Pilots switch off flight engines after being alerted by ground staff
• Flight took off with 280 passengers after checks

A Dubai-bound Emirates flight was delayed at the Chennai International Airport on Tuesday evening after smoke emanated from the tail end of the flight.

The incident happened while the flight was being refuelled by the ground staff at around 9.40 pm on Tuesday before its departure. The ground staff alerted the pilots, after which they turned off the flight engines.

Firefighters rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control. Technical experts inspected the flight to check if any repair work was required before the take-off.

Although the actual cause of the smoke is yet to be determined, sources suggest that heat generated due to excess fuel in the fuel tank could be the reason behind it.

A total of 320 passengers who were scheduled to board the aircraft were accommodated in the waiting room of the airport as their boarding was delayed.

The flight took off with 280 passengers after all necessary inspections were conducted.