Qatar Airways plane forced to make emergency landing after bird strike causes engine to set fire

A Qatar Airways plane has had to make an emergency landing after a bird strike causes one of the engines to catch fire mid-air.

Not long after take-off, flames could be seen coming from the Airbus A330’s left engine.

The Doha bound plane, took off from Ataturk Airport in Istanbul at 1:20pm local time on Thursday, and returned back at the airport 40 minutes later.

A Qatar Airways spokesperson, said: “Qatar Airways can confirm that QR240 from Istanbul to Doha experienced a bird strike, which resulted in its safe return to Istanbul.

“All 298 passengers and 14 crew disembarked normally and the airline is sending a replacement aircraft to Istanbul. Customer needs, including onward travel, will be taken care of by the airline. The safety of our passengers is our most important responsibility. The pilot followed all safety procedures.”