A chartered aircraft with 127 people on board aborted take-off when one of its wheels caught fire Tuesday at South Africa's main O.R. Tambo international airport, an airport official said.

"Global Aviation which was en route to Lilongwe, Malawi aborted take-off because one of its tyres apparently got alight," airport spokeswoman Unathi Batyashe-Fillis told AFP.

The fire was extinguished and no injuries were reported among the 120 passengers and seven crew.

The flight was scheduled to take off at 7:30am (0530 GMT) from the airport's cargo section.

The accident involving the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 caused slight delays in flight take-offs and landings at one of Africa's busiest airports.

"We have had around five minutes delays on all our departing flights and arrivals as a result," said Batyashe-Fillis.