This is the terrifying moment flames poured from a plane's engine forcing an emergency landing in India on Saturday night.

The Airbus A320 had taken off from Bangalore in the south of the country bound for the Cochin International Airport in Kerala on May 18.

But the engine burst into flames moments into flight IX1132, operated by Air India Express, the low-cost short-haul subsidiary of flag carrier Air India.

Terrified passengers screamed and prayed as the aircraft was forced to turn back and land at the Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport just before midnight.

In astonishing scenes, the panicked cabin crew were heard shouting at the top of their voices 'remain seated, please be seated, everything is under control' as the engine fire could be seen intensifying.

'Just please be seated, we're just waiting for the captain's instructions, please be seated' one of the male air stewards is heard screaming.

Fire crews eventually extinguished the blaze and the passengers were all eventually disembarked from the single-aisle plane without any injuries. They were put onto alternative flights.

A statement from Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates the Kempegowda International Airport, said: 'On May 18, 2024, IX 1132 from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing at Bengaluru airport at 11:12 pm, due to a reported fire in one of the engines.'

An Air India Express spokesman said: 'As flames were seen emanating from the right engine after takeoff, the Bengaluru- Kochi flight elected to return and carried out a precautionary landing at Bengaluru. The ground services also reported flames, resulting in an evacuation. The crew accomplished an evacuation with no injuries to any guests. We regret the inconvenience this has caused and are working to provide alternative arrangements for our guests to reach their destination as soon as possible. A thorough investigation with the regulator shall be accomplished to establish the cause.'

The plane, registration VT-ATF, is now undergoing checks on the two CFM International CFM56 engines.

Air India Express has four Airbus A320s in service, alongside 26 models of the Boeing 737-800 and 20 of the notorious Boeing 737 MAX 8.