Bird-hit Tiger Airways jet lands safely in India

Ninety-four passengers and five crew members of Tiger Airways' Singapore-Trichy flight underwent some anxious moments after the plane suffered a bird-hit that damaged its windshield while landing at Trichy airport on Monday morning.

The passengers of the Airbus A320 flight were shaken when the windshield in the cockpit cracked due to the bird-hit, creating a pressure imbalance during landing, reported The Times of India (TI).

Officials told the newspaper the experienced flight crew skillfully landed the plane, and even managed to stick to the scheduled arrival time of 10.30am.

While airport authorities described it as a "technical snag", passengers on board the flight said they felt a big jerk. 

If the incident would have occurred during departure, the impact would have been unimaginable, officials from Tiruchy airport told the Indian Express.

Grounded for repairs

The Tiger Airways return flight that was scheduled to leave for Singapore at 11.15am (1.45pm Singapore time) with 171 passengers was grounded due to the incident.

An airline official told TI: "The passengers have all been offered accommodation in a nearby hotel and flight maintenance is underway". 

Experts say food waste dumped near the airport attracts birds. Airport Authority of India guidelines stipulate that an area of 10km from the runway should be free from any kind of garbage dumps, meat and chicken shops. But these norms are not followed in Trichy airport. 

Grounded by eagle

In July, an Indigo flight from Kolkata to Mumbai had to be turned around after a collision with an eagle damaged the engine blades. The passengers and crew had to endure 25 minutes of uncertainty before the pilot managed to safely land the plane at Kolkata air​port. 

Source: Times Of India, Indian Express