COLOMBO (News 1st); A SriLankan Airlines aircraft preparing to depart for London was forced to abort its take-off following a bird strike that damaged one of its engines.
The incident occurred while the aircraft was taxiing on the runway in preparation for its scheduled flight to the United Kingdom, when a bird was reportedly ingested into the aircraft's right engine.
According to SriLankan Airlines, the flight crew acted immediately after detecting the problem, bringing the aircraft to a safe stop on the runway before taking steps to safely disembark all passengers.
A total of 269 people, including 15 crew members, were on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.
The flight had been scheduled to depart for London at 12.55 p.m. However, damage caused to the engine following the bird strike prevented the aircraft from continuing its journey.
SriLankan Airlines subsequently arranged a replacement aircraft, which departed for London at 4.30 p.m.
The airline said the swift actions of the pilots and ground personnel ensured the safety of all passengers and crew, with no injuries reported.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority has launched a special investigation into the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding the bird strike and assess the damage caused to the aircraft.
