KATHMANDU: A Turkish Airlines aircraft suffered minor damage after a pigeon struck the plane during its landing approach at Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday morning, disrupting flight operations for more than an hour.
The incident occurred at 6:36 am Nepal time as the aircraft was preparing to land at the Kathmandu-based airport. An inspection following the bird strike found minor damage to the light attached to the aircraft’s nose landing gear. However, the landing gear itself remained undamaged, according to an airport official.
Following the incident, airport authorities temporarily suspended operations to clear the runway of the bird’s remains. The airport remained closed until 7:48 am, affecting flight movements during the period.
An airport airside official said the runway clearance took longer than expected because the personnel responsible for cleaning were on leave and were not immediately available.
The number of passengers aboard the aircraft at the time of landing was not immediately known. The aircraft was reportedly scheduled to carry 71 passengers on its subsequent departure.
Despite the damage to the landing gear light, airport officials said the aircraft was ready to resume operations.
Bird strikes pose a potential risk to aircraft during take-off and landing, particularly at airports where birds enter the flight path. The incident also highlighted how delays in runway clearance can disrupt airport operations.
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