Passengers of an Allahabad-bound Air India flight had a narrow escape on Thursday as the aircraft hit a Neelgai (antelope) shortly after landing at the Ahirwa Airport in Kanpur on Thursday.

"The Air India flight IC-7801 collided with a Neelgai as it came down on the runway," deputy director of the airport A K Saxena said, adding all the 47 passengers on board the plane were safe. No one was hurt, he said.

Saxena said one of the propellers of the aircraft, a 48-seater ATR, was damaged.

According to him, the flight, which was coming from Delhi, was scheduled to proceed to Allahabad via Kanpur.

The passengers were being sent to Allahabad by another plane since the aircraft has suffered damage, Saxena said.

Senior police and administrative officials have visited the site to take stock of the situation.