An Air India plane en route to the national capital suffered a bird hit shortly after take off on Friday and returned to Nagpur.

The aircraft landed safely, the airline said in a statement on Saturday.

Details about the number of passengers and the type of aircraft could not be immediately ascertained.

"Flight AI466, operating from Nagpur to Delhi, on 24 October, experienced a bird-hit shortly after take-off. The crew decided to return to Nagpur as a precautionary measure, as per standard operating procedure, for inspection of the aircraft," Air India said.

The airline said that after landing safely, the aircraft underwent maintenance checks, which required extended time for rectification, resulting in the cancellation of the flight.

"Hotel accommodation was provided to the passengers, and full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling were offered as opted by them. Alternative arrangements were made to fly the passengers to their destination at the earliest," the statement said.

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