Suspected tailpipe fire in SpiceJet flight at Delhi airport

New Delhi: A SpiceJet aircraft bound for Kathmandu experienced a suspected tailpipe fire at Delhi airport on Thursday and was promptly returned to the bay as a precautionary measure.

In a statement, the airline said the aircraft underwent detailed engineering checks, and no abnormalities were found.

The flight SG041 was being operated with a Boeing 737-8 aircraft, as per information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com. The flight, which was scheduled to depart in the morning, was delayed by more than four hours, PTI reported, citing sources. 

"On September 11, 2025, a SpiceJet aircraft scheduled to operate from Delhi to Kathmandu returned to bay after another aircraft on the ground reported a suspected tailpipe fire. No warnings or indications were observed in the cockpit, but the pilots decided to return as a precautionary safety measure," the airline said in a statement. In broad terms, a tailpipe is the exhaust pipe of an engine.

The aircraft underwent detailed engineering checks, and no abnormalities were found. The aircraft has since been cleared for operations and will depart shortly, it added. Details about the number of passengers onboard the aircraft could not be immediately ascertained.

A jet engine tailpipe fire, also referred to as an internal fire, occurs within the normal gas flow path of the engine. A tailpipe fire occurs on the ground, specifically during engine start or shutdown, according to information available on the website SKYbrary.