A Bhubaneswar-Delhi Vistara flight had to make an emergency landing at the Biju Patnaik International Airport on Wednesday, just minutes after it took off. The reason was said to be windshield damage. According to preliminary reports, the aircraft’s windshield cracked during today’s hailstorm that struck several areas of Odisha.
According to a report by Deccan Chronicle, Bhubaneswar Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan verified the incident and stated that in addition to the windshield, some other structural elements of the aircraft were also harmed.
“The flight had departed from Bhubaneswar at around 1:45 pm and the aircraft sought assistance to land back after 10 minutes on priority. The aircraft’s windshield developed a crack along with some damage to the structure,” Pradhan was quoted as saying.
It is said that the Vistara flight made a safe landing without the need for any external help. The aircraft’s cabin crew and about 169 passengers were unharmed.
According to Pradhan, the passengers were given another flight by the authorities, and they are all waiting for it.
“Only after necessary repairs, the flight would leave. It was a normal landing at the airport,” he was quoted as saying.
A Vistara flight UK531, headed for Hyderabad, had to make an emergency landing in Mumbai 30 minutes after takeoff earlier in February. The airlines explained the turn-back as the result of a “technical snag.”
“Shortly after take-off, a technical snag was detected on Vistara flight UK531 operating from Mumbai to Hyderabad on February 17, 2024. As a precautionary step, in accordance with the standard operating procedures, the pilots decided to turn-back and landed the flight safely at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport, Mumbai,” a Vistara airline spokesperson was quoted as saying by Hindu.
It is said that before continuing with operations, the flight underwent the required inspections. For the Hyderabad-bound passengers, a different flight was scheduled.
