A plane understood to have been carrying the Queen Consort suffered massive nose damage when it was hit by a bird strike today as it flew home from India.

The mid-air drama is unlikely to have been welcomed by Camilla who is known to have a fear of flying.

The British Airways Boeing 777-200ER aircraft (G-YMMJ) was flying from Bangalore in India to London Heathrow when it collided with a bird shortly before 1pm on approach for landing.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on the incident, but it is believed that the Queen Consort was onboard returning from a health retreat on the subcontinent.

A photograph of the plane after landing showed a massive dent in the plane's nose cone where the weather radar is housed.

Although the damage looks dramatic, jetliners do occasionally hit birds and there was no danger to the aircraft.

Camilla has publicly acknowledged her fear of flying and doesn't let it stop her from jetting across the world.

She is said to have once sat terrified on the steps of a tiny private jet during an overseas visit refusing to get in.

On board, she can often be seen squeezing her husband’s King Charles's hand as an aircraft is taking off.

Charles, despite being a pilot, is hugely sympathetic to her phobia, but was heard during one particularly bumpy flight to yelp loudly: ‘Darling, please don’t hold me so hard!’.

The Queen Consort, 75, is believed to have been taking a break in India while King Charles continues with his royal duties.

She has visited the SOUKYA holistic health retreat in Bangalore at least seven times since 2010.

SOUKYA promotes itself as a 30-acre organic farm, which offers yoga and ayuverdic, homeopathic and naturopathic treatments.

The centre offers treatments for more than 100 conditions.