Lightning strikes passenger plane while landing in India

Lightning struck a plane of the Indian airline IndiGo with 110 people on board when approaching for landing at Lucknow airport. Despite the damage to the bow, the pilots safely landed the aircraft, according to The Times of India.

The lightning struck the nose fairing of the aircraft, protecting the meteorological radar. The aircraft landed eight minutes ahead of schedule. None of the 104 passengers and six crew members were injured.

After landing, the aircraft was suspended from flights for technical inspection and repair. It will be able to resume operation only after obtaining permission from the General Civil Aviation Authority of India (DGCA).

Earlier, in June 2023, lightning struck an Airbus A350-900 "Aeroflot", flying from Vladivostok to Moscow. The incident occurred shortly after takeoff when the aircraft entered dense cloud cover. The crew continued the flight along the route, none of the passengers were injured.