How bird strikes damaged 2 planes at Bangladesh’s main airport

Two aircraft were Saturday damaged by bird strikes at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh.

The incidents, according to media reports, led to the cancellation of flights.

Fortunately, none of the passengers and crew of the two planes was injured.

Local media reports indicated that around 12:30 PM, the bird entered the landing gear while the Bangkok-bound flight was taking off on the runway.

The pilot was, however, able to make an emergency stop of the aircraft.

The two planes involved were a national flag carrier of Bangladesh Airlines and an aircraft of Dubai-based Fly Dubai.

After the bird hit, both aircraft were taken to the hangar for repairs.

Biman Public Relations General Manager Tahera Khandkar was quoted to have said that the damaged aircraft was repaired and prepared for the next flight around 8:30 pm.

Passengers of the plane had to disembark in the taxiway, a senior pilot of the national flag carrier told the Daily Star, a leading local newspaper.

Later the authorities made alternative arrangements for the passengers to travel to Bangkok.

In the second case, according to the report, a flight of Fly Dubai abandoned take-off after a bird strike on its left engine and damaged three propeller blades of it.

As the plane had to be halted on its final phase of take-off, two wheels also melted, the leading local daily reported quoting unnamed sources.