An Air ChangAn passenger jet was grounded after a botched "water cannon salute" by airport firefighters clogged up its engines by spraying thick foam instead of water, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, Registration B-5180, had just landed at Zhuhai Jinwan International Airport after its inaugural flight 9H8303 from Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, when the watery tradition welcomed its arrival.

The 737-800 aircraft was forced to undergo a safety check after fire-suppressing foam was sprayed rather than water.

The foam clogged up the jet engines and turbine blades, the sources said.

The return flight 9H8304, which was scheduled to leave for Xi'an at 1:25 p.m., is expected to take off from Zhuhai Airport at 5:30 p.m., according to VariFlight, China's leading flight status service provider.

Updated: Flight 9H8304 was cancelled and passengers have been accommodated at a hotel.

Further investigation into the exact cause is under way.

Air Changan, a low-cost subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, officially resumed operations as an independent carrier on Monday, ending years of providing capacity to Hainan Airlines.

Watch the moment airport firefighters spray the plane with foam instead of water: