KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Malindo Air Flight OD1231 from Kota Baru to Subang last night was cancelled after one of its two engines caught fire, the airline confirmed today.

It said the ATR72-600 twin-propeller plane experienced the fire during start-up at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport at 8.10pm yesterday, around an hour after it had been scheduled to depart.

"All 43 passengers on board along with the four crew members disembarked in a safe and orderly manner,” Malindo said in a statement this morning.

It added that the passengers were transferred to two other flights leaving the Kelantan state capital.

Malindo apologised for the incident and sought to assure its passengers that safety was its main concern.