Bird strike forces IndiGo flight to make emergency landing in Varanasi

India Jan 12, 2026

An IndiGo flight from Gorakhpur to Bengaluru had a tense moment on Sunday evening when a bird hit the plane just 15 minutes after takeoff.
With 216 people onboard, the pilot made an emergency landing in Varanasi.
Thankfully, everyone was safe and got off the plane by 8:40pm.

What happened next

After landing safely, IndiGo canceled the rest of the trip to Bengaluru and set up hotel stays for passengers.
Bird strikes can be risky for planes, but quick action from the crew kept things under control and made sure everyone was taken care of.