By Admin 
A major accident was averted at Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport when an Indigo Airlines flight going from Gorakhpur to Bengaluru had to make an emergency landing after hitting a bird in the air. Due to the pilot’s prudence and quick action, all passengers remained safe and no one was injured.
The nose section of the plane crashed
Indigo flight 6E-437 took off from Gorakhpur Airport at 6:25 pm on 11 January 2026. This flight was going to Bengaluru and there were 216 passengers on board. About 15 minutes after takeoff, when the plane was at an altitude of about 16,000 feet near Jaunpur, a bird hit occurred. The nose section of the aircraft was damaged due to the bird hit. Initial investigation has found dents and slight cracks in the nose.
When the flight situation became critical, the pilot immediately contacted Varanasi Air Traffic Control (ATC). After this, the plane was diverted and made an emergency landing safely at Varanasi Airport at 6:56 pm.
Indigo canceled all further flights
After landing, all the passengers were safely deboarded from the plane by 8:40 pm. Many passengers were frightened by this incident, but no one was injured. Indigo Airlines has canceled further flights. Arrangements have been made for the passengers to stay in various hotels in Varanasi city.
Technical team is investigating the damage
At present, Indigo’s technical team is fully investigating the damage caused to the aircraft and repair work is going on. The aircraft has been parked at terminal number-03 of the airport. A decision regarding further flight will be taken only after the investigation is completed.
Danger to flights due to bird hitting
This incident again brings to the fore the problem of bird hits in air safety, which can pose a threat especially during takeoff and landing. Indigo Airlines has said that the safety of passengers is their biggest priority and they are thoroughly investigating the matter.