Passenger plane aborts take-off after suffering bird hit in northern India

A Delhi-bound passenger plane aborted take-off after it suffered a bird hit at Varanasi airport in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Wednesday, a senior aviation official said.

"The incident took place at Varanasi airport when flight number 9W 2423 of private airline Jet Airways, with 150 passengers on board, was about to take off. The bird hit damaged at least three blades of the plane's right engine," he said, on condition of anonymity.

All the passengers, including some international tourists, have been stranded at the Varanasi airport due to the incident, the official said, adding that a probe has been ordered.

This is the third incident of bird hit in India in barely a month's time.

A passenger flight of low-cost private airline Indigo had to make an emergency landing at Raipur airport in the central state of Chhattisgarh Sunday after being hit by a bird. All passengers aboard flight number 6E 252 were reported to be safe.

Similarly, on March 25, an Air Arabia international flight carrying 182 passengers and crew from Nepalese capital Kathmandu made an emergency landing at Lucknow airport in Uttar Pradesh after the aircraft suffered a bird hit. The flight was on its way to Sharjah. Enditem