Air India Delhi-Pune Flight Suffers Bird Hit; Return Journey Cancelled, Airline Offers Refund

In a recent development, Air India was forced to cancel the return journey of its Delhi-Pune flight after the plane suffered a bird hit. Reportedly, the bird strike was detected after the aircraft landed in Pune, and extensive checks are now underway. Passengers are now being offered refunds. 

Bird Hit Forces Air India To Cancel The Return Journey Of Delhi-Pune Flight

As per a report published in News18, the Pune-bound Air India flight from New Delhi, AI-2469, suffered a bird hit on Friday. The flight departed from Delhi at 5:31 am and landed safely in Pune at 7:14 am. The airline confirmed that the bird strike was only discovered after the aircraft touched down in Pune. The plane has been grounded, and inspections are currently being carried out by Air India’s engineering team. The airline is also offering accommodation to stranded customers to minimise inconvenience.

As per the Airline’s statement, it is also offering its passengers refunds on cancellations and complimentary rescheduling. They are also making alternative arrangements to fly the passengers back to Delhi.

Read More: Why Is Air India Curtailing 15% Of Its International Flights Operated By Wide-Body Aircraft?

Other Cancelled International And Domestic Flights 

This incident comes amidst a series of other flight cancellations by Air India. According to the News18 report, the airline cancelled several other domestic and international flights on Friday, citing reasons such as enhanced maintenance work and other operational challenges. Among the cancelled international flights were AI906 from Dubai to Chennai, AI308 from Delhi to Melbourne, AI309 from Melbourne to Delhi, and AI2204 from Dubai to Hyderabad. 

While the domestic flights which stand cancelled include AI874 from Pune to Delhi, AI456 from Ahmedabad to Delhi, AI-2872 from Hyderabad to Mumbai, and AI571 from Chennai to Mumbai. On Thursday, Air India also announced that it would reduce the frequency of many international flights per week until at least mid-July.

Also Read: Air India Cancels Several Flights Including Routes To London, Paris, Vienna Amid Crash Probe

These flight cancellations follow the tragic Air India plane crash that occurred on June 12. The horrific incident involved a Boeing 787, which crashed just moments after takeoff. The aircraft was carrying 242 passengers, of whom only one survived. The deadly crash also led to several deaths on the ground.

Cover Image Courtesy: Air India, Wikipedia/ Mark Bess