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A Delhi-bound Indigo flight made has made an emergency landing after a bird hit the aeroplane, officials told PTI.
The Delhi-bound flight had 175 passengers on board.
Officials said that the flight returned to Patna as the aeroplane’s engine developed a technical slag due to bird hit.
Separately, News 18 Bihar has reported that all passengers were safe and sound as the emergency landing was safely carried out.
The news channel noted that the Patna airport is considered to be among the most dangerous in the country as it has a relatively shorter runway and there exists a higher risk of bird hits there.
The IndiGo flight, identified as 6E 5009, had taken off from the Patna airport at 8.42 am and returned to the airport to make the emergency landing after it suffered a bird hit, according to Hindustan Times.
“We are making alternate arrangements for the passengers as the aircraft has been grounded,” an IndiGo official told the newspaper.
Patna airport is among the 11 most critical airports in the country, the newspaper noted.
In addition to the short runway and multiple obstructions, there are slaughterhouses in the Phulwarisharif locality near the airport that attracts birds, making flight operations at the airport prone to bird hits, as per the newspaper.
Previously, the Bihar government has requested a multidisciplinary team from the Centre for a course-correction in the matter.