A flight from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi returned and made an emergency landing minutes after take-off on Wednesday after the aircraft was caught in a hailstorm and suffered damage.
The 169 passengers and crew on board are safe. The New Delhi-bound flight landed back at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here barely 10 minutes after taking off, the officials said.
According to preliminary information, the aircraft’s windshield developed a crack due to the hailstorm that lashed several parts of the city this afternoon.
“A windshield has been damaged, while no harm was caused to the passengers,” BPIA Director Prasanna Pradhan said.
The aircraft was inspected by engineers, and the passengers were accommodated on another flight to New Delhi.
