A Condor Airlines flight from Corfu to Düsseldorf had to make an emergency landing in southern Italy after one of its engines caught fire mid-air, reportedly due to a bird strike. The Boeing 757-330 aircraft, carrying 273 passengers, took off from Corfu International Airport around 8:00 pm local time on Saturday (August 16) when flames were seen coming from its right engine. Witnesses said they heard a loud noise similar to an explosion as the plane flew over the port area.

According to Greek media reports, the incident happened when the aircraft was flying at around 1,500 feet. Videos taken by locals and tourists showed sparks and fire shooting from the engine. The flight crew quickly shut down the damaged engine, while emergency services at Corfu airport were put on alert.

Another video, posted by FL360aero, shows the plane flying a flock of birds. The comments section read- the aircraft made an emergency landing in southern Italy due to 'engine failure caused by suspected bird strike'.

Although there were initial suggestions that the aircraft might return to Corfu, the captain decided to continue the flight on one engine and diverted to Brindisi in southern Italy. The plane climbed to about 8,000 feet before turning northwest and landed safely in Brindisi, where emergency teams were waiting.

Passengers, most of them German holidaymakers, were given hotel accommodation for the night and were expected to continue their journey to Düsseldorf the next day.

Condor Airways later issued a statement saying, “We apologise for any inconvenience, but passenger safety is our top priority at any given time.” German broadcaster RTL reported that flying directly to Düsseldorf on a single engine was not possible, which is why the captain chose Brindisi for the landing.