An IndiGo flight to Kolkata triggered panic on Monday after a suspected bird strike mid-air forced the aircraft to turn back and make a precautionary landing at Nagpur Airport, according to reports.
The flight, carrying 272 passengers, landed safely with no injuries reported, officials confirmed.
"There has been a suspected bird strike on IndiGo's 6E812 Nagpur-Kolkata flight. We are trying to analyse what has happened," Abid Ruhi, Senior Airport Director, Nagpur Airport, Maharashtra told ANI.
Data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft, an Airbus A320-251N, was diverted back to Nagpur.
The suspected bird strike, which occurred shortly after takeoff, is reported to have damaged the front section of the plane.
The flight has been cancelled, a senior official said.
According to reports, onboard were several well-known figures, including Sudhakar Kohle, Shekhar Bhoyar, and Nitin Kumbhalkar.
IndiGo and airport authorities are examining the incident, and further updates are awaited.