A holiday flight from Cardiff to Cyprus was forced to divert and make an emergency landing at Birmingham Airport after a suspected bird strike shortly after take-off.
The Boeing 737, operating as flight TOM6754, left Cardiff Airport at 4.30pm on Sunday and was bound for Paphos. But just minutes into the journey, the pilots declared an emergency and diverted towards the Midlands.
TUI Flight Forced into Emergency Landing at Birmingham
Birmingham Airport was forced to temporarily suspend all operations as emergency services prepared for the incoming aircraft. Fire crews were positioned on standby as part of routine safety procedures.
The plane circled Swansea Bay at around 3,000ft before climbing to 12,000ft to burn excess fuel in a series of holding patterns.
After an hour in the air, it touched down safely in Birmingham at approximately 5.30pm. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported.
The BBC reported that the cause of the emergency was engine failure following the bird strike.
Airport Statements
A spokesperson for Cardiff Airport told The Independent: “We are aware of an incident involving flight TOM6754 from Cardiff to Paphos. The safety of our passengers is our number one priority.
The aircraft diverted to Birmingham Airport (BHX) and landed safely at approximately 5.30pm.”
Birmingham Airport confirmed the suspension of operations during the incident: “Birmingham Airport temporarily suspended operations at 5.12pm for approximately 30 minutes to accept a TUI inbound divert.
In line with normal procedures, the airport’s Fire Service met the aircraft on arrival. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the apron.”
Recent Disruptions at Birmingham
This is not the first time Birmingham Airport has been forced to shut down operations in recent weeks.
Just last month, the airport closed for 41 minutes after a light aircraft experienced a landing gear malfunction en route to Belfast. One passenger suffered minor injuries during that incident.
Despite these interruptions, Birmingham Airport remains the UK’s seventh-busiest hub. Passenger traffic rose by 12 per cent in 2024, reaching nearly 12.9 million travellers.
With easyJet establishing a new base at the airport, experts are predicting one of the busiest summers on record for the West Midlands gateway.
