According to an airport official, the technical snag occurred around 3.30 p.m. when the national passenger carrier's flight was about to take-off from Pune airport.
"There was a technical snag in the aircraft. Smoke was seen emanating out of one of the engines. All 25 passengers on-board the aircraft were evacuated," the airport official told IANS.
"Two incoming flights had to be diverted because the runway was blocked to take the Air India's aircraft back to the apron area."
The aircraft, hit by technical snag was supposed to have ferried 25 passengers, whose earlier Air India flight had got cancelled on Saturday due to another technical reason.
Finally, all the passengers were shifted to another flight which departed Pune at 7.30 p.m. on Sunday.
On its part, the airline said that: "AI854 Pune - Delhi of 1st Oct to depart at 1500hrs was delayed due technical reason. Scheduled flight AI850 will depart today at 1930hrs."
