A Flydubai flight from Kathmandu to Dubai experienced a bird strike during takeoff but it headed to the United Arab Emirates, and later landed at the Dubai International Airport safely.
"Our experienced flight crew followed standard operating procedure and continued the onward journey after determining that the engine was within normal operating parameters," a spokesperson for the UAE company said.
Jagannath Niroula, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said in a statement to Reuters that an engine caught fire on 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.
International / Nepal
Flydubai aircraft heads for destination after engine fire extinguished, lands safely
File picture of the Flydubai Boeing 737-800 that is involved in the incident.
Fire is seen on a FlyDubai airplane after it takes off from Kathmandu airport in Nepal April 24, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. @SubasTheOne/via REUTERS