A TUI flight from Wales to Cyprus was forced to make an emergency landing moments after takeoff when a bird flew into the aircraft. Passengers on board the flight from Cardiff Airport said they felt a vibration during takeoff, followed by a “burning smell,” which was initially thought to be engine failure. “There was a feeling something had gone wrong but no explanation given, so for a lot of people that was the most scary part,” passenger Dave Preece told the BBC. The pilot then informed fliers that the aircraft would need to make an emergency landing, and circled around to the nearby Birmingham Airport in the West Midlands, where four fire engines were waiting for the flight as it landed. Passengers were then safely disembarked and shuttled away from the plane. A TUI spokesperson said: “To confirm, there was no engine failure. There was a bird strike after take-off and the diversion that followed was a precautionary routine procedure.” An airport spokesman said “Birmingham Airport accepted an inbound TUI divert. “In line with normal procedures, the airport’s Fire Service met the aircraft on arrival. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the apron.” Nobody was harmed during the incident.
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