Air India Express flight suffers bird strike, lands safely at Bengaluru airport

The aircraft landed safely at Bengaluru airport, and technical teams began inspecting it for possible damage following the bird strike.

An Air India Express flight bound for Bengaluru suffered a bird strike but landed safely at Kempegowda International Airport on Tuesday, with all 148 passengers and crew members remaining unharmed.

The Air India Express flight was operating from Visakhapatnam to Bengaluru when it suffered a bird strike on Tuesday. (REUTERS/Representational)

Flight IX2065, going from Visakhapatnam to Bengaluru, completed its journey and was moved to a parking stand after landing. Ground engineers and technical teams subsequently began inspecting the aircraft to assess any potential damage to its structure or engines as part of standard safety procedures. No injuries were reported in the incident.

In a separate incident on October 14, Air India flight AI-2030, operating from Frankfurt to Delhi, departed from Jaipur International Airport for its onward destination on Wednesday afternoon after security agencies conducted a comprehensive sanitisation sweep and cleared the aircraft following a hijack scare, officials said. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff after the Aerodrome Committee evaluated the situation and concluded that the threat alert was resolved. The international flight had made an emergency landing at Jaipur Airport at approximately 09:35 IST after transmitting 'Squawk 7500'—the internationally designated transponder distress code indicating unlawful interference or a suspected hijacking.

On October 11, a Chennai-bound IndiGo flight carrying passengers from Delhi was forced to make an emergency diversion to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad, Hyderabad, on Sunday after a passenger's power bank caught fire inside the cabin. According to official reports and statements from the airline, smoke began billowing from the electronic device mid-flight, triggering immediate safety alarms among those onboard. The flight crew responded swiftly to contain the incident, while the pilots executed a safe diversion to Hyderabad in accordance with standard aviation safety protocols. IndiGo expressed regret over the unexpected disruption and emphasised that safety remains the airline's utmost priority.

"We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers due to this unforeseen situation and are making all efforts to minimise it, including offering refreshments and sharing timely updates. At IndiGo, the safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority," the airline spokesperson had said.