An Air India flight operating on the Delhi-Raipur-Delhi sector was delayed on Wednesday after suffering a bird-hit incident during landing at Swami Vivekananda Airport (SVA) in Raipur. According to airport sources, the flight was scheduled to arrive in Raipur at 8:15 am and had commenced its landing approach at around 8:08 am when it reportedly struck a bird near the runway. The pilots safely handled the situation and landed the aircraft without any untoward incident. No injuries were reported and all passengers on board were stated to be safe. Following the landing, airport authorities and airline engineers initiated mandatory technical inspections and safety checks to assess any possible damage to the aircraft. The examination process resulted in a delay to the return service from Raipur to Delhi. The aircraft was originally scheduled to depart for Delhi at 8:55 am. However, the flight was temporarily grounded while engineers carried out a detailed inspection to ensure that no damage affecting operational safety had occurred.

 

Airport sources said the aircraft was allowed to resume operations only after completion of all prescribed technical evaluations and clearance procedures. As a result, the departure was delayed by nearly two hours, with the flight eventually taking off for Delhi at around 11:35 am. Officials maintained that all aviation safety protocols were strictly followed and passenger safety remained the foremost priority throughout the process. Passengers were informed about the delay and provided assistance by the airline during the waiting period. A bird hit occurs when an aircraft collides with a bird during take-off, landing or flight. Such incidents require mandatory inspection of critical aircraft components, particularly engines and airframe structures, before the aircraft can be cleared for operations. Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials manning operations at SVA are understood to be compiling a detailed report on the incident even as precautions were taken and normal flight operations resumed after the aircraft was declared fit for service.