IndiGo flight from Patna hit by lightning at 17,000 feet, lands safely in Lucknow

An IndiGo plane flying from Patna to Lucknow was struck by lightning at about 17,000 feet on Wednesday, damaging its nose, according to local Indian media reports.

Flight 6E925 was carrying 104 passengers and six crew members while flying in bad weather. The pilots landed at Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at around 4.13pm according to Flightradar24 data, ahead of its scheduled arrival. No one was injured, the reports said.

The aircraft had left Patna at 3.10pm.

The jet remains grounded in Lucknow while engineers inspect the damage and will require regulatory clearance before flying again, the reports said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been notified.

IndiGo arranged a replacement aircraft for the passengers, which left for Ahmedabad at 6.22pm, according to the reports.