Mumbai-Bound Air India Flight With 116 Passengers Onboard Suffers Bird-Hit At Goa Airport, Take-Off Aborted

Airport director M C Jayarajan said the Airports Authority of India will take up the matter of presence of birds on the runway with the Navy.

An Air India flight with 116 passengers on board faced a bird-hit while preparing to depart from Dabolim airport in Goa to Mumbai. The incident occurred at 6.45 am, causing smoke to emerge from the aircraft’s engine. Airport director M C Jayarajan confirmed the bird-hit, leading to the cancellation of the flight’s take-off.

The flight was scheduled for Mumbai from the Goa International Airport at Dabolim, located near Vasco in South Goa, the official said. “The take-off was aborted immediately and the aircraft is parked in the bay for further investigation,” he said.

The Dabolim airport is a part of INS Hansa base of the Indian Navy.

Jayarajan said the Airports Authority of India will take up the matter of presence of birds on the runway with the Navy. “This is a serious matter,” he added.

(With PTI inputs)