Bird strike on a Turkish Airlines plane shuts Kathmandu airport until 7:48 am
A pigeon struck a Turkish Airlines plane as it landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 6:36 am on Wednesday. The airport stayed closed until 7:48 am so the runway could be cleaned, The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur reported, citing airport officials they did not name.
The clean-up dragged on. The staff assigned to it were on leave, both papers said. Flights were disrupted, but neither report gives a count of flights delayed, diverted or cancelled.
The plane took minor damage to a light on its nose landing gear, and no damage to the gear itself was reported. It was due to carry 71 passengers on its departing flight, the Post said, though the number on board when the bird hit was not available. An airport official told Kantipur the aircraft was ready to fly again.
Why it matters: Neither report cites a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority or the airport, and neither gives a cost or says how many travellers were held up on a Dashain holiday morning.