Bird strikes can cause major damage when there is a collision between a bird and an aircraft
Husna Anjum Senior Live News Reporter and Rob Currell
11:30, 09 Feb 2026Updated 11:33, 09 Feb 2026
A ‘bird strike’ forced an EasyJet flight to do a U-turn back to Amsterdam(Image: Getty)
A ‘bird strike’ has forced an EasyJet flight to do a U-turn back to its departure airport in Amsterdam. The airline issued an apology to passengers claiming the plane had to be inspected by engineers following the incident.
BelfastLive reports the EasyJet flight number 3052/U23052 circled back to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, landing about 20 minutes after taking off at 6.09pm last night (February 8). The Airbus A320 Neo aircraft completed a loop over the ocean before heading inland to it’s departure location.
Bird strikes describe a collision between a bird, or airborne animal, and an aircraft. These events can cause major damage as jet engines can lose power if they suck in a bird, sometimes causing aircrafts to abort a take-off or landing attempt.
An update at the time from EasyJet read: “We’re sorry that your flight has been returned to Amsterdam. This is because the plane needs to be inspected by our engineers following a bird strike.
“This can take between 30 minutes to two hours and we’ll keep you updated as soon as we know more. The safety of you and our crew is our highest priority and we thank you for your patience.”
A later update provided by the company yesterday read: “There has been an additional delay because the plane that was scheduled for your flight today experienced a bird strike. Because the issue could not be resolved, we’ve decided to arrange a new plane to fly you to your destination today.
“The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance.”
The latest information indicates that EasyJet flight 3052 is due to take-off from Amsterdam this afternoon, with a scheduled departure time of 1pm.
EasyJet has been approached for an updated comment.