Bird Strike Grounds Air India Flight at Pune Airport; Return Journey to Delhi Cancelled, Passengers Assisted
Pune, 20th June 2025: An Air India flight was grounded at Pune Airport on Friday morning after suffering a bird hit during landing, resulting in the cancellation of its scheduled return trip to Delhi. The incident affected over 100 passengers, who were later provided with alternative travel options.
The flight in question, AI-2469, departed from Delhi at 5:31 am and landed safely in Pune at 7:14 am. However, a routine post-landing inspection revealed that the Airbus A320 aircraft had experienced a bird strike during its descent or touchdown.
Following standard safety procedures, the aircraft — which was scheduled to fly back as AI-2470 from Pune to Delhi — was taken out of service for detailed inspection and necessary safety checks, prompting the cancellation of the return leg.
“Flight AI-2470, scheduled to operate from Pune to Delhi on June 20, has been cancelled due to a bird-hit detected after landing. The aircraft is undergoing a mandatory inspection. We regret the inconvenience and are working to assist all affected passengers,” an Air India spokesperson stated.
The airline assured passengers that multiple support measures were provided, including full refunds, complimentary rebooking, hotel accommodation where needed, and alternate travel arrangements to Delhi.
Air India emphasized that the safety of its passengers and crew remains its foremost priority and expressed gratitude for customers’ understanding amid the unexpected disruption.
