Air India Flight Cancelled After Bird Hit At Pune Airport; Passengers Provided Alternatives
Air India Halts Pune-Singapore Flights Until September 30
An Air India flight carrying over 100 passengers was hit by a bird while landing at Pune airport on Friday morning, resulting in the cancellation of its return journey to Delhi.
Flight AI-2469, operating on the Delhi–Pune route, took off from Delhi at 5:31 am and landed safely in Pune at 7:14 am. However, post-landing inspections revealed that the Airbus A320 had suffered a bird strike during its descent or landing.
Due to safety protocols, the same aircraft — scheduled to fly back to Delhi as flight AI-2470 — was grounded for extensive safety checks, leading to the cancellation of the return flight.
An Air India spokesperson confirmed, “Flight AI-2470 scheduled to operate from Pune to Delhi on June 20 has been cancelled due to a bird-hit detected after the incoming flight landed safely. The aircraft has been grounded for mandatory inspection and safety checks. We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption and are making every effort to minimize the impact.”
The airline added that passengers were offered options such as full refunds, complimentary rescheduling, accommodation for those in need, and alternate travel arrangements to Delhi.
Air India reiterated that the safety of passengers and crew remains its top priority and thanked affected customers for their patience and cooperation.
