A scare occurred this Thursday at Bilbao Airport when an Easyjet flight heading to Bristol, England, had to make an emergency return to the Biscay aerodrome minutes after taking off due to a bird strike.
The Airbus A320 departed from Loiu at 15:00 hours without any apparent issues. However, a few minutes later, a bird collided with the aircraft. The crew also reported an engine failure warning, prompting a request for landing priority at the airport, where it touched down safely.
This is not the first time a bird has collided with an aircraft near the Biscay airport. In late March, another Easyjet flight impacted a large bird during its approach to the aerodrome.
These incidents bring back the issue of vultures in the 'La Paloma' area.
In 2018, several similar incidents occurred; one forced a Vueling aircraft to make an emergency landing, with the commander having to shut down one of its two engines. In response to these situations, authorities launched a plan to monitor and control the phenomenon, which had significantly concerned pilots for several months. The only bird radar in Spanish airports was also purchased and has been operational for four years.
The activity of scavenger birds in the vicinity of the aerodrome has been kept under control in recent times. The radar installed in 2022 is providing valuable information and allows commanders to be alerted to the presence of carrion birds in the area.
