Updated at 4pm
An Air Malta flight to London was delayed by almost four hours on Thursday morning because of a bird strike.
Malta International Airport said a bird hit the aircraft upon departure at 7.20am.
The aircraft returned safely to its base for inspections.
An internal investigation has been launched.
The flight departed at 11.07am.
Times of Malta reported on September 16 that 48 bird strikes occurred at Malta Airport last year, 19 more than in the previous year.
The average number of bird strikes between 2014 and 2016 was 33.
In 2016, Malta International Airport was ordered to pay Air Malta €250,000 in damages following a strike involving a flock of birds.
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Bird strikes can occur during take-off or landing, as well as in the air. Malta International Airport has a number of measures in place in relation to Bird Hazard Management. The operations team conduct bird presence patrols and are involved in systematic harassment action through acoustic distress calls specially targeted at resident flocks. This is further enhanced by habitat control measures, such as removing food and water sources on the aerodrome. Regular grass cutting, which is part of the safety management procedures, also helps in the elimination of shelter options for birds, and makes it more difficult for them to identify food sources. Moreover, the company has a reporting system in place which records bird presence occurrences for the purposes of monitoring and data collection. |