Emirates Chennai to Dubai flight delayed due to 'technical fault', says airline

Aircraft was cleared to proceed to Dubai after inspections: Emirates

Dubai: An Emirates flight from the South Indian city of Chennai to Dubai was delayed late Tuesday evening due to a "technical fault", the carrier said in a statement.

The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft suffered the technical issue in Chennai and was delayed by over two hours. It is said the aircraft eventually landed at Dubai International Airport past midnight.

"Emirates flight EK547 from Chennai to Dubai on September 24, 2024 was delayed due to a technical fault. Following an engineering inspection, the aircraft was cleared to proceed to Dubai," the airline said in a statement.

The airline apologised to its passengers for the inconvenience caused. "The safety of our passengers and crew is of the utmost importance," it said.

According to media reports, the incident took place at 9.50 pm, shortly before the flight's scheduled departure from Chennai International Airport. Videos shared on social media shows smoke was seen emanating from the wing area of the aircraft. 

Airlines operating on the UAE-India air corridor, one of the busiest in the region, enjoy a very high passenger load factor, with most reporting over 80-90 percent load factors.