Bird strike forces return of Paphos-bound flight

A Paphos-bound Thomson Airways flight was forced to return to Birmingham airport immediately after take-off on Wednesday after what appeared to be a bird strike, reports said.

No one was injured in the incident that happened at around 2pm UK time (4pm).

Passengers heard two bangs and smoke came from one of the Boeing 737’s engines, the Independent said.

Quoting a company spokesman, the paper said the aircraft returned as a precautionary measure following a suspected bird strike.

“The plane landed safely for a routine inspection and customers will be on their way as soon as possible.”

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.