Chennai-Colombo Air India flight suffers bird hit; same aircraft operated for return journey

The Air India flight from Chennai to Colombo suffered a bird hit on Tuesday (October 7, 2025). But the airline operated the same aircraft from Colombo to Chennai.

The flight AI 273 carrying over 150 passengers left Chennai airport around 12.40 a.m. and landed at Colombo at 1.55 a.m. As the crew suspected a bird strike, the engineers examined the aircraft at Colombo but found no damage and the airline decided to operate the same aircraft from Colombo to Chennai.

The flight carrying 153 passengers departed from Colombo around 3 a.m. and landed at Chennai around 4.30 a.m. On arrival, the engineers at Chennai airport found that the engine blade had been damaged. The aircraft has now been grounded at the airport.

In a statement, Air India said that on October 7, the flight crew of AI273 operating from Chennai to Colombo, reported a suspected bird strike. After landing at Colombo, the engineers who inspected the aircraft found no damage, and the aircraft was cleared for operation.

The same aircraft operated flight AI274 from Colombo to Chennai as per schedule. Upon routine post-flight checks at Chennai, the engineers observed an impact on an engine blade. Consequently, the aircraft has been grounded for further inspections and to ascertain the cause of the damage.