SWISS A330 aborts Delhi takeoff with engine fire, injuring six passengers

SWISS International Air Lines flight LX147 rejected takeoff at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on April 26, 2026, after engine failure and fire during the takeoff roll at over 100 knots (approximately 105 knots). All 228 passengers, 4 infants, and 13 crew evacuated via emergency slides. Six people were hospitalized with injuries sustained during evacuation and remain stable. The Airbus A330-300 (registration HB-JHK) is grounded as India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and SWISS technical teams investigate.

Runway 28 closed until the aircraft is removed, causing flight delays and diversions at Asia’s third-busiest hub. SWISS has deployed a task force to Delhi, with technical teams en route for inspection.

A SWISS International Air Lines Airbus A330-300 aborted takeoff at Delhi after the left engine failed and caught fire during the takeoff roll in the early hours of April 26, 2026. Flight LX147, bound for Zurich with 245 people aboard, rejected takeoff at over 100 knots on Runway 28 at 1:08am local time. The crew initiated a full emergency evacuation on the runway.

Six people were taken to Medanta hospital with injuries sustained during the slide evacuation. All are reported stable. Some passengers unable to use the emergency slides were evacuated using stairs brought to the aircraft.

The aircraft remains on Runway 28, which has been closed pending removal. This closure has caused cascading delays and diversions across Delhi’s operations — the airport handles 1,400 daily movements. SWISS has deployed a task force to manage passenger rebooking, and technical teams are traveling to Delhi for inspection alongside DGCA investigators.

What happened during the rejected takeoff

The incident occurred at 1:08am local time as flight LX147 accelerated down Runway 28 for departure. The crew rejected takeoff at over 100 knots after the left engine (engine #1) failed and caught fire. At that speed, the aircraft was committed to a high-energy abort — a maneuver that places extreme stress on brakes and tires.

The crew brought the A330 to a stop on the runway and initiated an emergency evacuation. All eight emergency slides deployed. 228 passengers, 4 infants, and 13 crew exited the aircraft. Six people sustained injuries during the evacuation and were transported to Medanta hospital, where they remain in stable condition. Some passengers unable to use the slides were evacuated using stairs brought to the aircraft by airport emergency services.

The aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 registered HB-JHK, remains on Runway 28 pending removal. Runway closure has forced Delhi to operate on reduced capacity, causing delays and diversions across the airport’s schedule.

Investigation and airline response

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is leading the investigation under CAR Section 5 Series C Part I, which mandates engine teardown within 72 hours and reporting to the International Civil Aviation Organization. SWISS technical teams are traveling to Delhi to support the inspection alongside DGCA investigators.

SWISS has deployed a task force to manage passenger rebooking. Affected travelers are being rerouted on Lufthansa codeshare flights (7x weekly Delhi-Frankfurt/Munich) or Air India (10x weekly Delhi-Zurich). The airline operates one daily Delhi-Zurich flight using A330-300 equipment — this incident removes that slot from service until the investigation concludes and a replacement aircraft is positioned.

This is not the first high-speed rejected takeoff at Delhi. In March 2024, an IndiGo A320neo suffered an engine fire during takeoff roll on Runway 28, rejecting at 120 knots. All 220 passengers evacuated safely with no injuries. DGCA grounded that aircraft for 72 hours pending inspection.

Regulatory oversight and A330 safety record

DGCA leads the investigation under CAR Section 5 Series C Part I, which requires engine teardown within 72 hours and a preliminary report to ICAO. SWISS, certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), follows IOSA audits conducted biannually and adheres to Airbus service bulletins for A330 GE CF6-80E1 engines.

The A330 has a global safety record of 0.08 hull losses per million departures, compared to the industry average of 0.12. Post-2010 fleet average age is 12 years, with 100% ETOPS-330 compliance for extended-range operations. Aircraft HB-JHK is deregistered pending investigation findings, which will be subject to dual oversight by DGCA and EASA.

Passengers departing India are covered by DGCA CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV, which mandates full refund or rebooking within 14 days for cancellations. No compensation is required for technical aborts unless delays exceed 24 hours. For passengers arriving in Zurich from Delhi, EU261 and UK261 regulations apply — travelers are eligible for €600 compensation if rebooking delays exceed four hours.

What to do if you’re affected

Runway 28 remains closed until the aircraft is removed, and Delhi operations are running at reduced capacity through at least April 28.

• Monitor Delhi airport status: Track delhiairport.in/real-time-flight-status for Runway 28 reopening and flight delays. Minimum connection time is 90 minutes airside in Terminal 3 — add a two-hour buffer if connecting through Delhi in the next 48 hours.
• Contact SWISS for rebooking: Call +41 848 700 700 or visit swiss.com/help to rebook Delhi-Zurich flights scheduled April 26-30. Lufthansa codeshare options are available on Frankfurt and Munich routes.
• Claim refunds or compensation: Passengers departing India can claim full refunds under DGCA regulations if travel is more than 14 days out. EU/UK passengers arriving in Zurich qualify for €600 compensation if delays exceed four hours.
• Check alternative airlines: Air India operates 10x weekly Delhi-Zurich service on Boeing 777-200LR equipment. Lufthansa operates 7x weekly Delhi-Frankfurt/Munich on A340-300 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Watch: DGCA’s preliminary report is expected within 72 hours of the incident. If an uncontained engine failure is confirmed, it could trigger fleet-wide A330 inspections and potential suspension of SWISS Delhi-Zurich service pending findings.