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ARCHIVED - Ryanair Spain-UK flight turned around after hitting flock of birds
Passengers travelling to Liverpool from Barcelona were transferred to another plane
A Ryanair flight headed for Liverpool had to conduct a quick about-turn just after departing Spain on Wednesday night, September 7, and return to its Barcelona base after the aircraft flew into a flock of birds and reportedly hit at least one.
Apologising for the significant delay, a Ryanair spokesperson confirmed that the Boeing 737-800 left Barcelona El Prat airport on time but soon after “encountered a minor bird strike”.
“The aircraft landed normally, and passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft which departed to Liverpool,” explained Ryanair.
It is understood that some of the birds may have flown into the engine, as several people living close to the Barcelona airport reported hearing an unusual noise as the plane flew over their homes.
The flight, which was scheduled to land in the UK at 10.25pm, eventually touched down in Liverpool at 1.35am, more than three hours late.
The unfortunate incident occurred just hours after the carrier announced it would be extending its Winter 2022 schedule even further, adding several more flights between the UK and Spain ahead of what it predict will be a bumper season.
The Irish budget airline has been battling to keep flights on schedule all summer amid cabin crew strike action at its Spanish bases, which is set to continue until January next year as negotiations over pay have reached a stalemate.
Speaking about the industrial action in Barcelona this week, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson explained the delicate relationship between the airline, workers and unions:
“They were not able to reach an agreement over four years, and our cabin crew tired of that and they’ve now gone with CCOO, and we’ve got a good agreement there, I think. We’re not going to get everything we want either. But as I said before, it’s like a marriage. You have to stop shouting at some time and enjoy life,” he said.
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