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A Srinagar-bound SpiceJet aircraft with 186 passengers on board landed under emergency conditions in New Delhi on Monday after Air Traffic Control learnt that it had suffered a tyre burst while taking off and asked it to return.
The Boeing 737-800 was airborne for 15 minutes and had travelled nearly 100 miles before it turned around.
The aircraft safely landed back in Delhi and all passengers are safe, an airline spokesperson said.
Pilots of another aircraft, which landed soon after the SpiceJet flight SG-224 took off at 1430 hrs, noticed pieces of tyre on the runway and informed the ATC, which swung into action and asked the cockpit crew of the low-cost carrier plane to return.
A full emergency was declared at the Indira Gandhi International Airport when the aircraft made a precautionary landing at around 1450 hours, airport sources said.
As fire brigades, ambulances, engineering teams and other services remained positioned, the aircraft first made a low pass over the runway.
Airport engineers then noticed a burst tyre on the right side of the aircraft and asked the pilots to try a smooth sail landing.
"Keeping the safety of passengers in mind, as a precaution, the aircraft returned to Delhi. We followed all procedures for landing in such situations," the spokesperson said.