Date:19/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/08/19/stories/2005081920940300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

City-bound aircraft suffers bird hit but passengers safe

Special Correspondent

Jet Airways arranges another plane to fly passengers

BANGALORE: Ninety-one passengers and nine crew members of a Jet Airways flight from New Delhi to Bangalore which had to turn back and make an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport there, arrived here safely on Thursday by another aircraft.

Some of the passengers who were contacted upon arrival said they were unaware of what was happening till the captain made the announcement about turning back. "It was almost one hour later when we landed back in Delhi and many of us had to make phone calls to Bangalore to postpone business meetings or tell our families that we were safe but would be delayed,'' other passengers said.

A Jet Airways spokesperson said the aircraft which left Delhi at 9.45 a.m. had a bird hit five minutes after take off and had to make an emergency landing. "All passengers and crew are safe,'' the spokesperson said.