FlySafair flight FA678, departing from Lanseria International Airport to Durban, made an emergency landing at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning, 21 November 2024, after a bird strike upon takeoff.
Story Summary:
- FlySafair flight FA678 from Lanseria to Durban was diverted to OR Tambo International Airport after a bird strike caused technical issues.
- Passengers were safely transferred to a new aircraft, with an adjusted arrival time in Durban of 12:45.
- FlySafair also announced additional flights to and from East London following weather-related cancellations on Wednesday, 20 November 2024.
FlySafair flight makes emergency landing: Here’s what happened
The flight, originally scheduled to land at King Shaka International Airport in Durban at 10:55, was diverted due to a technical issue with the second engine caused by the bird strike.
Passengers were transferred to another aircraft, with the estimated time of arrival in Durban adjusted to 12:45.
FlySafair spokesperson Maryke Pienaar confirmed the incident in a statement to IOL News, stating:
“The aircraft landed safely, and we’ve moved the passengers onto a new aircraft to resume their journey. We apologise for any inconvenience caused as the team prioritised safety.”
Pienaar made it clear that bird strikes, though uncommon, are managed efficiently by trained pilots to ensure passenger safety.
Latest FlySafair travel updates on Thursday, 21 November 2024
In addition to the emergency landing, FlySafair announced schedule changes for flights to and from East London, following weather-related cancellations on Wednesday, 20 November 2024.
The updated schedule for Thursday, 21 November 2024 includes additional flights to accommodate passengers:
- FA760 departed Johannesburg at 08:00 and arrived in East London at 09:35.
- FA761 departed East London at 10:10 and arrived in Johannesburg at 11:35.
- FA762 departed Johannesburg at 12:10 and arrived in East London at 13:45.
- FA763 departs East London at 14:20, arriving in Johannesburg at 15:45.
- FA764 departs Cape Town at 08:40, arriving in East London at 10:15.
- FA765 departs East London at 10:50, arriving in Cape Town at 12:30.