Emirates Flight EK517 Delayed at Delhi After Bird Strike on Arrival
Emirates flight EK517 suffered a bird strike on arrival in Delhi on 18 October, forcing an overnight delay to its return service to Dubai.
By The Aviation Hub
3 min read
An Emirates bird strike on arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi (DEL), on Saturday 17 October delayed flight EK517's return service to Dubai by several hours, with the airline confirming repairs were required before the aircraft could depart.
Khaleej Times reports that an Emirates spokesperson confirmed the inbound flight from Dubai, operating as EK517, was struck by a bird as it arrived in Delhi. The return leg of the same service was held while the aircraft underwent the necessary inspections and repairs.
The Emirates Bird Strike Affecting Flight EK517
According to Khaleej Times, the bird strike occurred on the inbound flight from Dubai to Delhi on 17 October 2024. The return flight, which would normally have departed Delhi that evening, was delayed as a direct result of the damage sustained.
Hindustan Times reports that Emirates issued a formal statement confirming the incident and advising passengers of the revised schedule.
The Revised Departure Time
The airline confirmed in its statement, cited by both Khaleej Times and Hindustan Times, that the flight was expected to depart Delhi at 07:00 local time on Sunday 18 October, equivalent to 05:30 UAE time.
Hotel accommodation was arranged for affected passengers during the overnight delay. Emirates said in its statement: "Emirates apologises for any inconvenience caused. The safety of our passengers and crew is of the utmost importance and will not be compromised."
How Bird Strikes Work and How Common They Are
Bird strikes are among the most frequent safety events in aviation, though the large majority cause little or no damage. Khaleej Times notes that the US Federal Aviation Administration logs well over 15,000 wildlife strikes per year, most of them involving birds.
Globally, the International Civil Aviation Organisation receives several thousand reports annually, a figure widely considered to understate the true total because reporting is voluntary in many countries.
Strikes occur predominantly during take-off, initial climb, approach and landing, when aircraft are below roughly 3,000 feet. As Khaleej Times explains, fewer than one in five strikes result in any damage, and fatal accidents remain rare.
Airports manage the threat through habitat control, radar monitoring, trained falconers and bird-scaring devices, keeping the risk generally well contained even though it is constant.
Emirates and the Delhi Route
This incident comes just days after Emirates announced it was bringing the Airbus A380 to Delhi as part of a broader push for expansion across India. The Aviation Hub covered that announcement in detail, setting out what the larger aircraft means for capacity and connectivity on the route. Delhi is therefore a particularly important point in Emirates' network, which makes the smooth operation of services such as EK517 all the more significant for the airline.
Readers who want to explore Emirates' full route and schedule information can do so using our Airline Search tool.
The Bottom Line
The Emirates bird strike at Delhi is, on current evidence, a routine incident of a kind that occurs regularly at busy airports worldwide. The airline followed standard procedure: grounding the aircraft for inspection and repair, arranging overnight accommodation for passengers, and issuing a clear public statement.
No injuries have been reported by any source, and the aircraft was expected to depart with a delay of several hours rather than any extended grounding. Readers looking for further incident coverage can visit our Squawk 7700 hub, where we track live aviation emergencies and maintain an archive of recent incidents.
We will update our coverage if Emirates or any investigating authority releases further information about the extent of the damage or the outcome of the aircraft inspection.
Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight.
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