An IndiGo flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai was forced to abort its takeoff on Friday evening after a bird hit was reported while the aircraft was accelerating on the runway, sources said.
The Airbus A321Neo aircraft had begun its takeoff roll and was gathering speed when the pilot detected the bird strike and decided to return the aircraft to the bay for inspection.
According to sources, the aircraft underwent mandatory safety checks, including an inspection of both engines, before being cleared for departure.
A passenger on board said the bird hit occurred just as the aircraft was preparing to take off.
“The plane had picked up speed and was about to take off when the bird hit happened. It took more than an hour before the flight resumed after the necessary checks were carried out,” the passenger said.
Flight-tracking data showed that IndiGo flight 6E-6283 was scheduled to depart Bengaluru for Mumbai at 7.04 pm. However, following the incident, the aircraft eventually departed at 8.46 pm after receiving clearance.
No injuries were reported, and the aircraft was declared safe to operate after inspections were completed.
The number of passengers on board was not immediately known. IndiGo had not issued an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.
(With Inputs from PTI)