SRINAGAR/JEDDAH, 13 November 2007 — The second special chartered flight of Air-India, which was to carry Haj pilgrims, escaped a major disaster yesterday when the tires of the plane caught fire while landing at Srinagar Airport.
The aircraft, Airbus 300, which had only crew members on board when the fire broke out, was scheduled to carry pilgrims to Jeddah later in the day. The delay caused confusion at Jeddah airport and affected flight schedule.
Officials of the Consulate General of India present at the Haj Terminal of the King Abdul Aziz International Airport contacted the airlines official and were told that the flight had been canceled due to the fire incident.
“The A-I flight 5103 was to take off from Srinagar with 215 pilgrims for Jeddah via Sharjah. But due to the fire the flight was canceled,” an airline official said. The fire was caused due to landing friction, the official said. The flight with the pilgrims later arrived last night.
“It was the presence of mind of Capt. P. Sharan, the pilot, that kept the aircraft on course and did not let it skid off the runway. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze immediately,” the official said.
A thorough inspection of the aircraft was carried out before it was declared air worthy and allowed to carry the pilgrims, the source said.
This year, 8,130 Kashmiri pilgrims will perform Haj. According to authorities, Haj flights will operate daily for one month.
