CHENNAI: Air India has grounded one of its aircraft for detailed inspection after engineers detected damage to an engine blade following a suspected bird strike on a Chennai–Colombo service, the airline said on Tuesday.
The incident involved flight AI273, which reported a possible bird strike shortly after take-off from Chennai. On arrival in Colombo, engineers found no visible damage, and the aircraft was cleared to operate the return service, AI274, as scheduled.
However, routine post-flight checks in Chennai revealed an impact mark on one of the engine blades, prompting the airline to withdraw the aircraft from service for further examination.
“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,” an Air India spokesperson said, adding that the safety of passengers and crew “remains the top priority."