A Czech Airlines flight that arrived late to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri airport had to be delayed a second time after a bird hit the plane, a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority said Tuesday.
Flight OK 296, destined for Prague, was scheduled to arrive to Beirut at 3:30 a.m., but landed at the airport thirty minutes late.
The flight’s captain then requested a checkup by a maintenance engineer to rule out a potential technical failure before allowing passengers in, further delaying the takeoff time.
The plane was prepared for takeoff at 6:30 a.m., but returned to the gate fifteen minutes later after the pilot said a bird had collided with the plane.
Following a second inspection of the plane, the Czech Airlines director did not permit the pilot to fly because he had exceeded the flight time limitations, prompting a mandatory rest period, the statement said.
The flight was rescheduled for 6 p.m. and the airline granted passengers the choice between cancelling or rescheduling the flight, waiting at the first class hall or staying at a nearby hotel as compensation for the inconvenience.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
