Lucknow: An Air India plane was forced to make an emergency landing at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport here on Tuesday after one of its cockpit glass panes cracked following a bird hit, an official said.

The plane on flight AI 873 was coming from Bhubaneshwar and was headed to New Delhi when the incident occurred as it was flying over Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.

Due to the bird hit, the plane carrying 169 passengers made an SOS call to the air traffic control in Lucknow Tuesday afternoon, and was allowed to make an emergency landing.

Airport manager Shakeel Ahmad Khan said that all passengers were safe and left for New Delhi around 7.30 p.m. by a special plane.

The damaged cockpit glass pane will only be repaired on Wednesday, officials said, adding that material for repairs would come from Delhi.