Patna: An IndiGo flight operating on the Delhi-Patna-Delhi route was diverted to Varanasi on Saturday after a flock of birds was spotted near the runway at Patna Airport, disrupting the travel plans of passengers on board and those waiting to fly back to Delhi.
Flight 6E 2453 reached the airspace over Patna at around 4:15 pm, but Air Traffic Control (ATC) did not permit the aircraft to land because of the bird activity near the runway.
The aircraft reportedly circled over Patna twice before being diverted to Varanasi as a safety precaution.
167 passengers affected
The flight was carrying 167 passengers, including Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh.
After being diverted, the aircraft subsequently returned to Patna from Varanasi and landed at around 6:20 pm.
The diversion meant that around 167 passengers scheduled to travel from Patna to Delhi had to wait at the airport for nearly three hours before the aircraft returned.
According to airport sources, firecrackers were used to disperse the birds from the vicinity of the runway, after which flight operations returned to normal.
Previous bird-hit incidents at Patna Airport
The latest incident comes after a series of bird-related incidents at Patna Airport.
On August 24, an Air India flight arriving from Delhi with 164 passengers on board reportedly suffered a bird strike while approaching Patna. Flight AI 1741 landed safely at 7:43 am.
Airport authorities had activated emergency landing protocols and deployed fire and other emergency services as a precaution.
According to airport officials, the pilot reported a suspected bird strike near the aircraft’s right turbine while approaching the runway. A post-landing inspection confirmed the bird strike, although no engine damage was found.
Following the required checks, the aircraft was cleared to return to Delhi. However, the return service, AI 1852, carrying 160 passengers, was delayed by 79 minutes, departing at 10:09 am instead of the scheduled 8:45 am.
Air India flight damaged in August 17 bird strike
Another bird strike was reported at Patna Airport on August 17, involving an Air India flight travelling from Delhi to Patna.
The aircraft reportedly suffered significant damage and was grounded for two days. Engineers were flown in from Delhi to carry out the necessary repairs.
The repeated incidents have highlighted the continuing challenge posed by bird activity around Patna Airport and its potential impact on flight safety and operations.
