The inaugural service, Flight AI1111, departed from Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at 9:23 am, carrying passengers who will connect through Delhi to international destinations including Dubai, Colombo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kathmandu and Phuket

The Airbus A330-343, carrying 245 people, was forced to abort take-off after its left-hand engine failed during the take-off roll. The crew reported a loud bang and visible flames from the engine before safely bringing the aircraft to a stop