An Akasa Air flight operating from Varanasi to Navi Mumbai returned to the airport late Tuesday night after the aircraft was reportedly hit by a bird shortly after takeoff. The incident involved flight QP-1430, which had departed from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi.

The scheduled departure time of the flight was 7:55 pm. However, the aircraft eventually took off at around 10 pm. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft encountered a bird strike. The pilot assessed the situation and decided to return to Varanasi airport as a precautionary safety measure.

The aircraft landed safely at Varanasi airport at around 10:51 pm. There were 188 people on board, including 182 passengers and 6 crew members.

Following the landing, passengers were taken off the aircraft and technical checks were initiated. The aircraft was inspected after reports that the bird strike had affected the engine. A technical team began examining the aircraft to determine the extent of the damage and carry out the necessary repairs.

The airline arranged hotel accommodation for the affected passengers. Alternative flight arrangements were subsequently made to transport them to Navi Mumbai. However, 25 passengers decided to cancel their onward journey.

A team of engineers arrived from Mumbai to work on the aircraft. Repair and inspection work continued until Wednesday evening. At around 8:30 pm on Wednesday, after the necessary repairs were completed, the aircraft departed for Mumbai with crew members on board.

The aircraft had reportedly reached Varanasi earlier than the incident after being delayed by around two hours because of a medical emergency landing at Mumbai airport. Following its arrival in Varanasi, the aircraft was scheduled to operate the return service to Navi Mumbai when the bird strike occurred.

The incident has once again highlighted concerns about bird activity around airports and the potential risk it poses to aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing. Bird strikes can cause damage to aircraft components, including engines, and therefore remain an important aviation safety concern.

The incident has also raised questions about the measures being taken to control bird activity around the airport. Regular monitoring of bird movement, proper airfield management and preventive safety measures are important to reduce the possibility of such incidents.

Despite the incident, the aircraft was able to return safely to the airport, and there were no reports of injuries among the passengers or crew members. The pilot's decision to return to the airport ensured that the aircraft landed safely after the bird strike.

The incident has once again underlined the importance of maintaining strict safety protocols at airports and taking preventive measures to reduce bird activity in areas used by aircraft.