An Air India flight from Bhopal to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur on Monday after it hit a bird. All the 122 passengers and crew members de-boarded the flight safely.
The incident took place minutes after the Delhi-bound flight took off from Bhopal airport. The aircraft has been grounded. Air India officials have yet to assess the damage. "We are looking into the matter and checking the aircraft for any damage," a senior Air India official said.
The Delhi-bound Air India flight with 122 passengers and crew on board was diverted to Jaipur due to a bird hit after its take-off from Bhopal airport on Monday. "AI 436 suffered a bird hit after the take off (in morning). The pilot and the co-pilot were watchful of the impact during the journey and upon feeling vibration in the engine, decided to land at Jaipur airport," Air India Spokesman Dhananjay Kumar said.
"The impact damaged seven blades of the engine and the aircraft has been grounded for three-four days," he said. All the passengers were deplaned safely after the aircraft landed at Jaipur, the official said. The passengers who had to urgently reach their destination were provided alternative flights while international travellers have been provided with taxis to reach Delhi. The remaining passengers were accommodated in a coach for the completion of their journey, Kumar said.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Prabhat Jha, who was on the flight, has appreciated the efforts of the pilot in handling the emergency situation. "The pilot dealt with the situation adroitly by handling the passengers in a proper manner. He only informed that the plane will be landing in Jaipur. After the plane landed safely, he informed about the fuel leakage mid-air," he added.
However, the pilot reportedly breached security protocols when he decided to fly to Delhi after the bird hit. But the aircraft was denied permission to land for not adhering to the security rules and diverted to Jaipur instead. According to rules, the pilot should have contacted the nearest air traffic controller to seek priority landing.