A bird strike involving an Emirates aircraft arriving from Dubai on Saturday delayed its return flight from Delhi to Dubai by more than 14 hours, pushing its scheduled departure from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning.
The return service, EK517, was originally scheduled to depart from Delhi at 4.25 pm on Saturday.
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The airline has rescheduled the flight's departure for 7 am on Sunday, October 18, leaving passengers facing an overnight delay. Emirates said the aircraft was struck by a bird while landing in Delhi on its Dubai-to-Delhi service, and must undergo repairs before it can return to Dubai.
"Emirates flight EK517 from Dubai to Delhi on 17 October encountered a bird strike on arrival. As a result, the return flight EK517 from Delhi to Dubai will be delayed while the aircraft undergoes necessary repairs," the airline said.
The airline did not disclose the number of passengers affected by the disruption or provide further details about the extent of the damage to the aircraft.
Emirates said it was making arrangements for hotel accommodation for passengers affected by the delay. The airline also apologised for the inconvenience caused by the change in schedule.
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The revised departure time means passengers will have to wait overnight for the Dubai-bound service, which was initially scheduled to leave Delhi on Saturday afternoon.
A bird strike refers to a collision between a bird and an aircraft that can damage parts such as engines, wings or the cockpit windscreen.
Depending on the extent of the damage, the aircraft may require technical inspections and repairs before it is cleared to fly again.
Following a bird strike, an aircraft undergoes a technical assessment to establish whether any damage poses a risk to safe operations.
The duration of the inspection and subsequent repairs depends on the severity of the impact and the work required to restore the aircraft to service.
In this case, Emirates said the aircraft required repairs following the incident, resulting in the postponement of its return flight from Delhi to Dubai.
Passengers travelling on the affected service are advised to check the latest flight updates with Emirates before proceeding to the airport, as the revised departure schedule may be subject to further changes.
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