Air India Delhi-Patna Flight Suffers Bird Strike At Patna Airport, 164 Passengers Safe

An Air India flight carrying 164 passengers from Delhi encountered a bird strike while landing at Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan Airport on Monday morning, triggering the airport’s emergency landing protocol. The incident is the second bird-hit involving an Air India aircraft at the airport within a week.

Flight AI 1741 landed safely at 7:43 am after the pilot reported a suspected bird strike near the aircraft’s right turbine while approaching the runway. Fire and emergency services were deployed as a precaution. A post-landing inspection confirmed the bird hit but found no damage to the engine.

“The pilot of Air India flight AI 1741 reported a suspected bird strike. After the plane landed, the authorities carried out a runway inspection. There was no disruption of flight operations at the airport due to the incident. All passengers are safe,” PTI quoted an airport official.

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Following mandatory safety checks, the plane was cleared for its return flight back to Delhi. Flight AI 1852, with 160 passengers, departed at 10:09 am (79 minutes delayed from its 8:45 am schedule). 

RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, who was also booked on the flight, shifted his travel to Air India’s afternoon flight, AI 2524.

Second Air India Bird Hit In A Week

The latest incident comes just days after another Air India Delhi-Patna flight reported a bird strike on August 17. That aircraft remained grounded for two days while maintenance engineers were brought in from Delhi. It was later cleared for operations following inspection and approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Worries about bird/animal activity have also escalated around Patna airport. On Sunday, while inspecting the commencement of flight operations, remains of an almost 1.5 kg bat were allegedly discovered on the tarmac. There was no report of any bird strike on that evening.

Why Bird Activity Rises During Monsoon

Officials said the monsoon can increase the risk of bird activity around airports because grass along runways grows quickly. Mowing the grass can expose insects, which in turn attract birds towards operational areas.

The Airports Authority of India has deployed chasers equipped with firearms and firecrackers to keep birds away from the airport’s operational zone.

Officials also pointed to meat shops in the Phulwarisharif area surrounding the airport as a continuing challenge, as they may attract birds and create additional risks for aircraft operations.

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AAI officials declined to comment on the recent rise in bird-hit incidents at Patna airport, while airport director Chandra Pratap Dwivedi did not respond to requests for comment.

What Rules Are In Place?

According to Civil Aviation Requirements regulations, airport authorities should have Wildlife Hazard Management Plans (WHMPs) to assess and minimise risks from birds and animals. These control methods can be bird repellents, rodent control, habitat and insect management, biological and chemical controls, as well as awareness and coordination activities.

In 2025, the government told Parliament that Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded the highest number of bird-hit incidents in India over the preceding five years.