Saudi Airlines plane suffers tyre burst

Mumbai, Jan 5: A Saudi Airlines Boeing plane arriving from Jeddah today suffered a tyre burst while exiting through the taxiway at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

All the passengers, however, escaped unhurt in the incident which happened early this morning , airport sources said.

A taxiway is a path for aircraft, connecting runways with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities. It took almost an hour to tow away the Boeing 777-200 plane safely to the parking area, they said.

Executives at the Saudi Airlines city office refused to comment or share any information on the incident. According to sources, the flight SV 744 after landing was exiting through the runway when the pilot observed some smoke and reported the matter to the authorities.

"The aircraft engine was immediately switched off and all the necessary checks were carried out. However, there were no signs of visible smoke," the sources said.

The towing of the aircraft was carried out under the 'follow-me-service', and in less than an hour it was hauled to the parking area, they said.

PTI