Bird-hit forces Delhi-bound Air India flight to make emergency landing in Patna

All 124 passengers on board are safe and were deboarded with a thorough inspection of the plane being carried out.

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New Delhi: An Air India flight bound for Delhi had to make an emergency landing at the Patna airport reportedly due to a bird hit.

News agency ANI reported that flight AI 410, with 124 passengers, was forced to make an emergency landing at Patna's Jay Prakash Narayan Airport - from where it took off - after a bird-hit caused one of the engines to develop a snag.

All passengers are reportedly safe and were deboarded.

It is learnt that the plane is being inspected for damage and passengers would be put on another plane for Delhi.

This is the second major aerial scare on Indian skies on Thursday after a chartered flight crashed in Mumbai, killing five.

Update: Rajender Singh Lahauria, Airport Director in Patna, has said that the pilot of the flight cited technical reasons for the emergency landing and that there is no mention of a bird-hit.