None of the 48 passengers and four crew members on board was injured in the incident involving the airline's Cochin- Chennai flight 9W 2730, airport sources said.
As the aircraft was taxiing for take-off at around 1230 hours, the pilot became aware of a deflated tyre. The air traffic control also noticed some smoke coming out due to resultant friction.
The passengers were quickly deplaned and the runway remained closed for about 30 minutes till the aircraft was hauled to the parking bay, the sources said.
An airline spokesperson said that as per standard operating procedure and in the interest of safety, the Captain ordered "precautionary evacuation" of passengers.
The airline later made arrangements for the onward journey of passengers through Air India, the spokesperson said, adding that an engineering team was carrying out inspection and assessment.