ABU DHABI— Etihad Airways (EY) has rejected media reports claiming a fire broke out on board flight EY343 from Chennai International Airport (MAA) to Zayed International Airport (AUH). The carrier stated the aircraft returned to the gate before departure because of a technical issue, with no fire reported on the jet.
The UAE national carrier confirmed that emergency services at Chennai International Airport (MAA) were activated only as a precautionary measure under airport safety protocols.
All passengers were safely disembarked, no injuries were reported, and the flight was rescheduled to depart approximately three hours behind schedule from Zayed International Airport (AUH) bound services.
Etihad Denies Fire in Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways issued a formal clarification after several media outlets suggested a fire had occurred on one of its aircraft preparing to depart from Chennai.
The airline directly contradicted those claims and attributed the return to a technical issue identified before take-off.
In its statement, the carrier said: “Contrary to some media reports, there was no fire onboard the aircraft. The aircraft returned to stand due to a technical issue.”
The airline further confirmed that flight EY343 was delayed after the aircraft returned to the gate, and passengers were subsequently disembarked while engineering teams assessed the snag, Gulf News reported.
Etihad added that the activation of emergency services at the airport followed standard ground safety procedures, not an active fire incident. “Emergency services were activated as a precautionary measure, based on the Chennai International Airport (MAA) safety protocols,” the airline noted.
Passenger Handling And Revised Departure
The airline confirmed that flight EY343 was expected to depart approximately three hours behind its original schedule from Chennai International Airport (MAA).
Etihad teams on the ground assisted affected guests with rebooking support, onward connections, and travel arrangements during the delay.
Passengers were advised to update their contact details on Etihad’s website to ensure they receive real-time flight status alerts via SMS or email. The airline apologised for the disruption and reiterated that customer support staff at Chennai were on hand to manage the situation.
“We apologise for the inconvenience, and our teams are assisting guests with their onward journey,” the airline said in its statement.
Safety Protocols And Airline Position
Etihad Airways emphasised that the safety of guests and crew remains its highest operational priority.
The carrier underlined that all standard procedures, including precautionary deployment of emergency vehicles, were followed in line with Chennai International Airport (MAA) ground handling protocols.
The aircraft was held at the stand for technical evaluation rather than dispatched for departure with an unresolved fault. By returning the jet to the gate before take-off roll, the operating crew and ground engineers prevented any potential in-flight complication arising from the reported technical issue.
“The safety and comfort of our guests and crew remains Etihad’s highest priority,” the airline added in its closing remarks.
Chennai To Abu Dhabi
The EY343 service is a daily scheduled rotation between Chennai International Airport (MAA) in southern India and Zayed International Airport (AUH) in the UAE capital.
The route serves a high volume of business and leisure travellers, including Indian expatriates connecting onward through Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub to destinations in Europe, North America, and Africa.
Disruptions on the route are handled under Etihad’s standard irregular operations procedures, including passenger accommodation, rebooking on subsequent EY343 services, or connections through partner carriers where applicable.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
