Air India flight grounded in Pune after bird hit; return leg cancelled

An Air India flight from Delhi to Pune suffered a bird strike on Friday, resulting in the cancellation of its return leg to Delhi.

The aircraft landed safely, and the bird hit was discovered after it touched down in Pune, the airline said in a statement. The plane has been grounded for detailed inspection, and extensive checks are being carried out by the engineering team.

“Flight AI2470, scheduled to operate from Pune to Delhi on 20 June, has been cancelled due to a bird hit which was identified after the incoming flight landed safely in Pune,” the airline stated.

Air India added that it is arranging accommodation for stranded passengers and offering full refunds or complimentary rescheduling. Efforts are also underway to arrange alternate travel options to Delhi.

Air India cancels eight more flights amid operational checks

This incident comes on the heels of Air India announcing the cancellation of eight other flights—four international and four domestic—on Friday, citing “enhanced maintenance and operational reasons”.

While the airline did not provide detailed explanations, it said it would reduce its wide-body international flight schedule by around 15 per cent from June 20 through mid-July. The move is aimed at creating reserve capacity while aircraft undergo intensive safety inspections.

Crash-led inspections impact Air India operations nationwide

The cancellations follow a fatal crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad on June 12. Since then, the airline has stepped up safety inspections across its Boeing 787 and 777 fleets.

The crash killed 241 of the 242 people on board, along with at least 30 people on the ground. The sole survivor, 40-year-old Vishwaskumar Ramesh, was seated near an emergency exit.

Since the accident, multiple Air India flights have been delayed or cancelled, with the airline attributing disruptions to “technical snags” as a result of ongoing checks.