Etihad Airways flight to Abu Dhabi grounded at Chennai airport after wing fire scare

An Etihad Airways Chennai-Abu Dhabi flight (EY0343) was grounded at Chennai International Airport on Tuesday after a fire was reportedly detected on the aircraft’s left wing during take-off preparations.

The aircraft was carrying around 280 passengers when the incident occurred. According to officials, the pilots noticed the fire while the plane was preparing for departure and immediately aborted take-off as a precaution.

#FlightUpdate | Etihad Airways @etihad flight EY0343, scheduled for departure from Chennai (MAA) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) at 1015 HRS, has returned to the stand due to a technical issue.

We recommend that passengers check with the airline for further updates.@MoCA_GoI |… pic.twitter.com/CfPQympoSd

— Chennai (MAA) Airport (@aaichnairport) May 12, 2026

Emergency response teams and airport fire services rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control. The fire was quickly extinguished, preventing any escalation or damage to passengers and crew, officials said.

All passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft, and no injuries were reported.

Airport authorities later confirmed that the flight was cancelled following the incident.

The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined. 

This is a developing story.