An Emirates Boeing 777 flying from Dubai to Mumbai encountered a flock of flamingos while on approach to the airport on Monday evening (May 20th, 2024). Thankfully, the pilots were able to land the aircraft safely despite the bird strike.
The incident occurred near the Mumbai suburb of Ghatkopar, approximately six kilometers from the airport, on Monday evening. Sadly, nearly 40 flamingos were killed in the collision.
There were no injuries reported among the 310 passengers and crew on board Emirates flight EK508. Emirates is cooperating with authorities to investigate the incident.
Bird strikes are a hazard for aircraft, particularly near bodies of water or wildlife sanctuaries. Thankfully, modern aircraft are designed to withstand such impacts, and pilots are trained in emergency procedures for handling bird strikes.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of wildlife mitigation efforts at airports around the world.