Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 17: An Air India flight arriving from Delhi experienced a bird strike while approaching Raipur Airport on Wednesday morning, but the aircraft landed safely without causing any harm to passengers or crew members.
According to officials at Raipur Airport, the aircraft was hit by a bird during its final approach and landing phase. Despite the incident, the pilots completed the landing safely and the situation remained under control throughout the operation.
Following the bird strike, Air India immediately initiated standard safety procedures to examine the aircraft and assess any possible impact on its structure and systems. Airport authorities said all mandatory inspections were carried out in accordance with aviation safety regulations before allowing the aircraft to resume operations.
After completing the necessary technical checks and receiving clearance from maintenance teams, the aircraft was declared fit for service and later departed for its scheduled onward destination.
Bird strikes are among the most common operational challenges faced by airlines worldwide. Aviation guidelines require detailed inspections after such incidents to ensure the aircraft remains safe and fully airworthy before returning to service. Officials have not reported any significant damage in this case.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is separately investigating an incident earlier this month involving three Air India aircraft that were damaged while parked at Delhi Airport during severe weather conditions on June 7.
According to the aviation regulator, all three Airbus A320 aircraft were stationed at Terminal 2 around 4.30 p.m. when strong winds and heavy rainfall caused ground handling equipment and debris to move unexpectedly, resulting in damage to the parked planes.
The DGCA said two pieces of ground support equipment, which had been positioned at nearby aircraft stands, were displaced by powerful winds and collided with two separate aircraft. In another case, the sliding window on the right side of a third aircraft was damaged after being struck by foreign object debris.
All three aircraft were immediately grounded for detailed inspection and repair work.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) confirmed that the combination of heavy rain and strong winds led to the movement of equipment positioned near parked aircraft, ultimately causing the collisions with the three Air India narrow-body planes.
Authorities are continuing to review the circumstances surrounding the incident as part of ongoing safety assessments.