Private airline’s plane 'hit by bird' at Lahore airport during take off

A private airline’s plane was hit by a bird while taking off at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport on Tuesday, ARY News, citing sources.

The sources said a private airline’s aircraft was hit by a bird while taking off for Karachi from Lahore airport. The accident damaged one of the plane’s engines.

The passengers were moved to the lounge. The technical team of the civil aviation department was sent for the inspection of the plane.

Separately, at least 38 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) planes were hit by birds in the first six months of 2024.

According to the report, 38 bird-hit incidents were reported from January to June. The incidents were reported in Islamabad, Multan, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Sukkur, Jeddah and Dubai.

Read more: PIA privatisation likely in September 2024

The report added five out of the 38 PIA planes were damaged by birds hit in the first six months of 2024, while 33 planes remained safe from huge damage.

The damaged PIA airplanes include Airbus320 and three Boeing777 aircraft. The incidents of birds hitting the planes are common across the world specially in Pakistan. The CAA had been carrying out drives to ensure cleanness in the areas near airports.

Meanwhile, the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines is expected to be finalised in September instead of August, sources familiar with the development told ARY News.