Hundreds of passengers evacuated after Delta Air Lines Airbus A330 engine catches fire

Flames and smoke were spotted near the aircrafts’ tail at Orlando International Airport

Hundreds of passengers have been evacuated from a packed flight in America after its engine caught fire, officials have said.

A Delta Air Lines airplane with nearly 300 people onboard caught fire on Monday before it was supposed to take off at a central Florida airport, airport officials said.

Pictures of the incident shared on social media showed bright flames and black smoke near the back wheels of the plane.

There were no reports of any injuries during the fire on the plane at Orlando International Airport, Delta said in a statement.

A recent spate of aviation disasters and close calls in the US has stoked fears about air travel, though flying remains a safe way to travel.

On-the-ground accidents included a plane that crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto and a Japan Airlines plane that clipped a parked Delta plane while it was taxiing at the Seattle airport.

An American Airlines plane caught fire in Denver last month.

The engine fire broke out late Monday morning on Delta Air Lines Flight 1213 while the plane was at the ramp before a scheduled departure from Orlando to Atlanta, airport officials said on social media.

The passengers were evacuated, and the airport's rescue and firefighting team responded, the airport's statement said.

The Airbus A330 aircraft had 282 customers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots, according to Delta.

"Delta flight crews followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft's two engines were observed," Delta said in a statement.