A British Airways jet that caught fire at Las Vegas airport last year is being repaired and will re-enter service.

Passengers had to escape on emergency slides after the captain slammed on the brakes and aborted take off on September 8th.

Flames and black smoke billowed from the Boeing 777-200 as people fled along the tarmac at McCarran International Airport.

But British Airways has said it will take to the skies again when "stringent checks have been completed".

The engine that caught fire - a General Electric GE90-85B - has been removed and will be replaced.

"The airframe was inspected by a team of highly experienced engineers from Boeing who concluded that the damage was limited and suitable for repair," said a BA spokesman.

"A team from Boeing is carrying out the repair work, which will be certified to the same high standards as if the aircraft was brand new".

Photos have emerged showing the jet being repaired at the Nevada airport, but BA said safety is the "first priority" and there is no set date on when the plane will fly again.

Some 157 passengers, 10 crew and three pilots were on board when the Gatwick-bound jet caught fire.

Captain Chris Henkey, who had 42 years' experience and was on his penultimate flight, was praised for his cool-headed response in halting the take-off and evacuating the plane.