Delhi-bound Akasa Air plane hit by bird, suffers radome damage 

Headline: Delhi-bound Akasa Air plane hit by bird, suffers radome damage 

Strap: Bird strike incidents in India increased by 49.3 per cent from January to July this year compared to the same period in 2021, according to data from India's aviation regulator, the DGCA.

An Akasa Air plane flying from Ahmedabad to Delhi hit a bird on Thursday which caused sustained radome damage. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft sustained radome damage as a result of the bird strike at 1,900 feet. Earlier that day, on October 15, a bird struck a Mumbai-Bengaluru Akasa Air flight.

“Today, Akasa B-737-8(Max) aircraft VT-YAF operating flight QP-1333 (Ahmedabad-Delhi) experienced a bird strike during the climb out passing 1900 ft. Post landing at Delhi, radome damage was observed. Aircraft declared AOG (Aircraft on ground) at Delhi,” DGCA said.

Earlier this month, an Akasa Air flight from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru was cancelled at the last minute due to technical reasons, causing chaos at the airline's check-in counters and passengers demanding alternative flights to their destination. According to news agency PTI, Akasa Air QP 1332 was scheduled to depart at 9.55 p.m., but the airline informed passengers that it had been rescheduled for 10.55 p.m.

"The airline said we could fly together on Wednesday. However, it did not provide passengers with food or hotel accommodations. It instructed us to accept a refund or to return to the airport the following day, "PTI quoted a passenger as saying.

A radome is a body part attached to an airplane's nose-mounted radar that is often referred to as the plane's nose due to its conical shape. However, in addition to offering protection, it enables the radar to receive electromagnetic signals without distortion.

In August, Akasa Air launched its first commercial flight.

Bird strikes on the rise

Animal and bird strikes have become a common phenomenon at Indian airports, but the number of incidents has increased significantly this year compared to last. This is primarily due to increased air traffic, but inadequate infrastructure and poor waste management in several cities also play a significant role.

Picture this, bird strike incidents in India increased by 49.3 per cent from January to July this year compared to the same period in 2021, according to data from India's aviation regulator, the DGCA. Such incidents have decreased as operations have been reduced in the last two years.

According to DGCA data, there were 974 bird strikes in the country between January and July of 2022. Collisions with other animals also increased significantly between January and July, with 23 incidents compared to seven in the same period last year.

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