Bird hits Emirates flight from Dubai to Delhi, return flight delayed; Hotel arrangements for travelers

New Delhi: A bird collided with the plane during the landing of Emirates flight EK517 coming from Dubai to Delhi. After this incident on Friday, the aircraft required inspection and necessary repairs, due to which the return flight from Delhi to Dubai has been delayed. According to Emirates, after the incident on October 17, necessary repairs are being made to the aircraft keeping in mind the safety of passengers. Apart from this, hotel accommodation arrangements are also being made for the affected passengers.

Expected to take off on October 18 at 7 am

Emirates said in its statement that due to the repair of the aircraft, flight EK517 from Delhi to Dubai is now expected to depart at 7 am Delhi local time on October 18. The airline has also apologized for the inconvenience caused to the passengers. The company said,

‘The safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised in any way.’

In view of the problems faced by the passengers, arrangements are being made to stay in hotels.

Air India’s ban on flights to Saudi Arabia extended

Meanwhile, Air India and Air India Express have extended the temporary suspension of flights to and from Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia till October 24, 2026. Airlines have taken this decision amid attacks by Houthi rebels in West Asia. This decision may affect the plans of passengers traveling to these cities. To provide relief to the passengers, both the airlines have informed about changing the ticket date and providing the facility to travel through other options depending on the availability.

Which passengers will get the facility to change the date of ticket?

According to Air India’s travel advisory, tickets issued on or before October 15, 2026, with travel dates between October 9 and October 25, 2026, can be rescheduled once without additional charges. This facility will be available for travel till 10 November 2026. This rule will be applicable on eligible bookings of Air India and Air India Express. The airline said that in view of the current situation, it is trying to give maximum flexibility to passengers in their travel plans.

Option to travel from other GCC cities also

Air India said that passengers whose booking falls within the eligible category and do not wish to re-book at a later date on their original travel route, may choose to travel from any other city in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region where the respective airline’s flight is available. However, this facility will depend on the availability of seats. Passengers are advised to confirm the rules and available options with their respective airlines before changing tickets or booking travel from an alternate city. (With inputs from ANI)

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