Birdhit grounds Emirates flight at IGI

A bird flying over Runway 28 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport forced an Emirates flight,EK 510,to land under emergency conditions after being hit on its right engine. The flight was able to land safely at the airport,sources said,adding that the aircraft has been grounded for repairs and is still in Delhi. According to ATC sources,the Dubai-Delhi flight was scheduled to land at 9.05 am when the pilot suspected the bird hit. The pilot informed ATC about the same and later a dead bird was found on Runway 28.

Airport sources said the incident delayed the return Delhi-Dubai flight,and passengers had to wait several hours. Sources said Runway 28 had to be shut for sometime after the dead bird was found. Orhan Abbas,Emirates vice-president for India and Nepal,has confirmed the incident. He said an inspection of the flight has been carried out and it has now been cleared for departure.

Abbas said: “During this interim period,Emirates has extended all possible assistance to passengers and crew. Hotel accommodation at premium hotels within close proximity of the airport has been provided. Emirates has rebooked passengers on its next available flights as well as on other airlines. The return flight EK 511 (Delhi-Dubai,July 25) has been rescheduled for departure today at 10.15 pm.”