Air India Colombo-Chennai Flight Experiences Bird Strike; Return Journey Cancelled

An Air India flight from Colombo experienced a bird strike upon landing in Chennai, grounding the aircraft for inspection.

To accommodate outbound passengers, a replacement aircraft was arranged, enabling 137 travelers to continue their journey as planned.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

An Air India flight arriving from Colombo with 158 passengers encountered a bird strike upon landing at Chennai airport on Tuesday, prompting the airline to cancel the return leg. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers were disembarked without incident. Airport authorities noted that the bird strike was identified during routine post-landing inspection.

Air India Flight Hit In Bird Strike 

Flight AI273, which departed from Chennai, reported a suspected bird strike shortly after take-off. Upon landing in Colombo, engineers conducted an inspection but found no visible damage, allowing the aircraft to proceed with its scheduled return journey as flight AI274, as per a report on PTI.

However, during routine post-flight checks back in Chennai, an impact mark was discovered on one of the engine blades. As a precaution, the airline removed the aircraft from service for detailed examination.

"The flight crew of AI 273 operating from Chennai to Colombo reported a suspected bird strike. After landing at Colombo, the engineers who inspected the aircraft found no damage, and the aircraft was cleared for operation," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement to PTI.

"The same aircraft operated flight AI 274 from Colombo to Chennai as per schedule. Upon routine post-flight checks at Chennai, the engineers observed an impact on an engine blade. Consequently, the aircraft has been grounded for further inspections and to ascertain the cause of the damage," the statement said.

Air India Flight Scare In Amritsar-Birmingham

This incident comes shortly after another Air India flight, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating between Amritsar and Birmingham, experienced a mid-air scare when its Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—an emergency backup power system—deployed unexpectedly during the final approach, as per India Today.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an investigation into the uncommanded RAT deployment. According to the regulator, the turbine activated at roughly 400 feet during descent. Despite the unexpected deployment, the pilot reported no issues and safely landed the aircraft, the DGCA confirmed.