SpiceJet flight from Karnataka's Belagavi suffers bird-hit, lands safely at Delhi

BELAGAVI: A SpiceJet flight from Belagavi to Delhi suffered a bird-hit at Belagavi airport on Monday morning. However, the flight landed safely at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the National Capital. 

According to an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official, the Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft carried 187 people. "The aircraft suffered a bird hit at Belagavi airport while flying to Delhi on May 9," the official added. 

After landing safely at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, the flight was supposed to fly immediately to Jharsuguda in Odisha. However as the plane faced technical glitches, the flight was delayed by a few hours. 

The flight to Jharsuguda, which was scheduled to take off at 11.55 am, departed at 2 pm and was operated by another aircraft. "Due to the bird-hit, one of the engine blades is damaged and technicians are working on it," sources said.

Meanwhile, speaking to The New Indian Express, Rajesh Maurya, Director, Airport, Belagavi, said that the pilot of the aircraft was the first to know about the bird hit and he informed the airport authorities immediately. "Most of the bird hits are harmless... but we cannot rule out the danger it poses to an aircraft," the official said.