Overview

• An eagle struck the aircraft’s nose while it was taxiing for takeoff at Vijayawada’s Gannavaram Airport, according to officials cited by PTI.
• Air India Express cancelled the morning service and arranged alternate travel for affected passengers.
• Some local reporting described the impact as a wing strike during takeoff, with the pilot returning the jet to the runway around 8:25 a.m.
• The aircraft has been grounded for a thorough inspection before any decision on resuming operations.
• The incident follows a recent IndiGo Nagpur–Kolkata flight that returned after a suspected bird hit earlier this week.