Vishakhapatnam, India: An Air India Express flight bound for Hyderabad was forced to make an emergency landing at Visakhapatnam (Vizag) airport on Thursday afternoon after a suspected bird strike caused engine trouble shortly after takeoff.
Flight IX 2658, operated by Air India Express, departed Vizag around 2:38 PM with 103 passengers onboard. About 10 nautical miles into its climb, the pilots detected abnormal vibrations in one of the engines and suspected a bird strike. Following standard safety protocols, the commander immediately contacted Air Traffic Control and requested clearance to return.
The aircraft made a precautionary landing back at Visakhapatnam airport at approximately 3:00 PM. Emergency services were placed on standby, but the landing was completed without incident. All passengers were safely deboarded, and no injuries were reported.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been informed of the incident, and engineers are carrying out a detailed inspection to confirm the extent of the damage and verify whether a bird strike was indeed the cause of the engine trouble.
Air India Express released a statement assuring that passenger safety was never compromised. The airline confirmed that alternative arrangements, including rebooking on later flights and refund options, were being provided to affected passengers. The flight, however, has been cancelled pending safety clearance of the aircraft.
