Delta Air Lines flight emergency as Orlando airport plane ON FIRE with passengers evacuated

A that was set to depart from an airport runway suddenly this afternoon, forcing passengers to evacuate via its emergency slides.

Shocking video footage captured the moment the passenger plane became engulfed in flames whilst parked on a runway, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. The flames erupted from one of the 's engines just as it was scheduled to fly from Orlando to . Inside the airport, a crowd of travellers queuing for their own flights watched on in horror as the emergency slides were deployed, sending terrified passengers flying down onto the tarmac moments before takeoff.

Flight DL1213 was due to depart the Florida airport for Atlanta on Monday morning at 11am ET. But moments before setting off on the three hour journey, flames began to emerge from the engine of the Airbus A330, forcing crew members to deploy emergency slides to allow the passengeres to escape. The official caused of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

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Delta said there were 200 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots on board the plane when the blaze erupted. "We appreciate our customers' cooperation and apologize for the experience", the airline said. "Nothing is more important than safety and Delta teams will work to get our customers to their final destinations as soon as possible. Delta will bring in additional aircraft to help get customers to their final destinations."

Orlando Airport said: "The fire was contained and is out. Some passengers were evacuated via an emergency slide." The evacuated passengers were all unharmed and sent back to the terminal where they were offered food and drinks as they waited for a new flight. Maintenance crews will now have a closer look at the aircraft to determine the cause of the fire.

The incident follows a recent string of horrific aviation failures across the US in recent months, including a number of plane and helicopter crashes. A collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington DC in January shocked the after it killed all 67 passengers on board.

And earlier this month, a into the Hudson River in after a propeller broke off mid-air, killing all six people aboard. Pilot Sean Johnson was operating the Bell 206 chopper as part of a sightseeing tour for a family of five from Barcelona before it "fell apart" mid-air and came crashing down into the Hudson River at full speed. He died along with Agustín Escobar, the former President of Siemens Spain, his wife Merce Camprubí Montal and their three children aged four, five and 11.