Guwahati: Air India Express Flight Diverted to Kolkata to Dodge Bird Collision

Guwahati: An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Guwahati was diverted to Kolkata on Sunday afternoon to avoid a possible bird-hit situation shortly before it was scheduled to land at Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport.

On the way downward towards Guwahati, the 179-passenger Airbus A320 ran into a flock of birds. In accordance with standard safety protocols, the pilot decided to divert the flight to Kolkata in order ensure the safety of the passengers.

The plane's original landing time of 3:15 pm was delayed by two hours when it finally touched down in Kolkata at 4:12 pm, approximately an hour after the diversion.

The flight departed Kolkata at 4:50 pm and proceeded to Dimapur, Nagaland. According to a Guwahati airport official, the diversion was only a precautionary measure and there were no technical problems or fuel shortages.

This incident comes after 16 flights were cancelled due to fog-related problems at Guwahati airport recently.

In December 2024, SpiceJet diverted a Delhi-Shillong flight to Patna after a bird strike damaged the cockpit windshield of its Delhi-Kochi flight. The flight, SEJ-2950, made an emergency landing at Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport at 8:52 AM, with all 80 passengers and crew members safe. The airport director confirmed the incident and reassured passengers of alternative arrangements.

Later that day, another SpiceJet Q400 flight traveling from Chennai to Kochi had to return to Chennai due to a technical issue, landing safely with 117 passengers and crew onboard. Both incidents highlight the importance of air safety.

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