IndiGo Nagpur-Kolkata flight encounters bird strike shortly after takeoff

Due to the requirement of necessary inspection and maintenance of the aircraft, the flight – IndiGo 6E812 – was cancelled for the day, the airline said.

An IndiGo flight going from Maharashtra's Nagpur to West Bengal's Kolkata encountered a bird strike on Tuesday morning, the airline said, adding that pilots decided to land back in Nagpur as a precautionary measure.

Suspected bird strike on IndiGo Nagpur-Kolkata flight 6E812 (PTI/File)

Due to the requirement of necessary inspection and maintenance of the aircraft, the flight – IndiGo 6E812 – was cancelled for the day, the airline said in a statement.

IndiGo said it made alternate arrangements and a full refund on cancellation, if opted for, apart from providing refreshments to the passengers.

"The inconvenience caused due to this unforeseen situation is deeply regretted. Safety and security of our customers and crew remains our topmost priority,” – IndiGo spokesperson said

Data from flight tracking portal flightradar24.com showed that the aircraft – an Airbus A320-251N – departed as per schedule at around 7:05 am on Tuesday.

The bird strike shortly after takeoff reportedly damaged aircraft’s front portion.

Last week, a technical issue detected mid-air led to a Dubai-bound IndiGo flight from Gujarat's Surat with around 150 passengers on board to diverted to Ahmedabad.

"Due to some technical issues mid-air, the Surat-Dubai IndiGo flight was diverted to Ahmedabad. It safely landed at the airport at around 11.40 am with nearly 150 passengers. It was not an emergency landing," the official of the SVPI airport said.

IndiGo arranged another aircraft later for the passengers, he said, adding that the flight took off for Dubai around 1.45 pm.