FIRE IN THE SKY

Plane Forced to Land After Bird Strike Sparks Flames

Passengers watched in alarm as flames appeared near a TUI jet’s engine after it hit a bird.

A flight from Cardiff to Cyprus was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing after the aircraft struck a bird shortly after take-off. The TUI plane had left Cardiff Airport on Wednesday afternoon bound for Paphos, with the journey expected to last more than four hours. But within minutes, passengers spotted flames erupting near the right-hand engine as a flock of birds flew alongside the aircraft. One passenger said the flight had already been delayed by around 20 minutes before taking off. She said passengers could then smell burning inside the cabin. “We could smell the burning in the cabin - it was horrendous,” she told Wales Online. The aircraft landed safely at around 2:52 p.m., where two fire engines and emergency crews were waiting. Cardiff Airport said all passengers and crew were safe and confirmed the runway reopened at 3:22 p.m. The replacement flight eventually departed for Paphos on Thursday.