Passengers safe after suspected bird strike caused fire in one of the Airbus A330’s engines

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A Qatar Airways passenger plane has made an emergency landing at Istanbul’s Atatürk airport due to an engine fire believed to have been caused by a bird.

All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the Doha-bound plane, the airline said.

“Qatar Airways can confirm that today’s QR240 from Istanbul Atatürk airport to Doha has returned to Istanbul and has landed safely,” the carrier said in a statement.

Aviation officials told AFP the incident was caused by a suspected bird strike that caused one of its engines to catch fire. The pilot followed all proper safety procedures, Qatar Airways said.

The plane, an Airbus A330, was carrying 298 passengers and 14 crew, according to the airline.

Qatar Airways is one of the biggest carriers in the Middle East.

