An Air India Express flight scheduled to operate from Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport to Pune was cancelled after a bird-hit incident involving the aircraft, raising safety concerns ahead of its scheduled departure.
Air India Express flight IX-1694, operating on the Amritsar (ATQ)–Pune (PNQ) route, was scheduled to depart at around 4:25 a.m. on August 18, 2026. However, the flight was cancelled after the aircraft reportedly encountered a bird hit.
Following the incident, the airline decided to cancel the flight as a safety precaution. A letter sent by Air India Express to the airport director confirms the cancellation of the flight.
Letter Mentions Technical Issue, Handwritten Note Cites Bird Hit
The communication sent to the airport authorities initially recorded the reason for the cancellation as a technical issue. However, a handwritten notation on the letter specifically mentions a bird hit, indicating that a bird had struck the aircraft.
The development comes as a safety-related precaution, as any suspected damage following a bird strike needs to be assessed before an aircraft can be cleared for further operations.
Passengers Disembarked, Baggage Returned
Following the cancellation, passengers were asked to disembark from the aircraft, while the process of removing and returning their baggage was also completed.
The cancellation disrupted the travel plans of passengers scheduled to fly from Amritsar to Pune in the early morning hours. The flight-status record for August 18, 2026, also reflects the cancellation of flight IX-1694.
Bird Hits Remain a Major Aviation Safety Concern
Bird strikes are a recurring operational concern for airports and airlines, particularly during aircraft take-off and landing. While many bird-hit incidents do not result in serious damage, they can potentially affect critical aircraft components, including engines, and therefore require immediate safety checks.
In the case of flight IX-1694, the aircraft was not allowed to proceed with its scheduled operation after the reported bird hit. The cancellation ensured that the aircraft could be assessed before being cleared for further service.
For passengers at Amritsar airport, the incident meant an unexpected disruption to the scheduled early-morning journey to Pune, with the airline completing the necessary passenger disembarkation and baggage-return procedures after the cancellation.