Despite a bird strike during takeoff on a flydubai flight from Kathmandu to Dubai, the aircraft eventually landed in the United Arab Emirates, the airline announced on Monday.
According to a spokeswoman for the UAE business, “Our experienced flight crew followed standard operating procedure and continued the onward journey after determining that the engine was within normal operating parameters.”
Jagannath Niroula, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said in a statement to Reuters that an engine caught fire shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu. The fire on flydubai flight 576 was under control and the Boeing 737-800 plane had 167 passengers on board, the Civil Aviation Authority said.
Flydubai said the aircraft landed normally in Dubai just after midnight local time and that further inspection would be conducted.