Star Air Nanded-Pune flight runs nearly four hours late after bird strike at Goa airport

Pune, November 13, 2026: Star Air's Nanded-Pune flight departed nearly four hours late on Wednesday, leaving several passengers upset. They complained that the airline gave them no timely information.

Flight S5-249 was scheduled to leave Nanded at 1.30 pm and reach Pune at 2.40 pm. It took off at about 5.30 pm and arrived in Pune at 6.12 pm. The delay also affected the same aircraft's return flight from Pune to Nanded.

Passengers expressed anger over the disruption. They alleged that the airline did not give proper updates about the revised timings.

One passenger said, "We did not get correct information, which is why passengers were very angry. This flight operates under UDAN, and such delays damage the image of the scheme."

Star Air said the main cause of the disruption was a bird hitting its aircraft at Manohar International Airport in Mopa, Goa.

According to an airline spokesperson, the aircraft was considered unfit to fly for some time after the incident. It had taken off from Goa for Nanded at 8.42 am but had to return to Mopa after the bird strike, landing there at 9.02 am.

The airline said it arranged another aircraft as quickly as possible to operate the Pune-Nanded-Pune flights and to limit further inconvenience.

The spokesperson also mentioned the change from the summer flight schedule to the winter schedule. The timing of this route was changed twice, it was stated, to account for final slot approvals and the fixed operating hours of the connected airports.