An Emirates flight from Delhi to Dubai has been delayed after its aircraft suffered a bird strike while arriving from Dubai on October 17, 2026. Flight EK517 was originally scheduled to depart Delhi at 4:25 p.m. on Saturday.
Following the incident, the aircraft was scheduled for necessary inspections and repairs to ensure it was safe to operate. The departure was rescheduled to 7:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, October 18, causing disruption to passengers travelling on the route.
Emirates arranged hotel accommodation for affected passengers and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the delay. The airline reiterated that the safety of passengers and crew remains its highest priority.
Bird strikes can require detailed aircraft inspections because they may damage engines, windshields or other aircraft components. Airlines may delay departures while maintenance teams assess any potential damage before returning an aircraft to service.