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Bird disrupts EVA Air flight at JFK Airport before departure

Policy

Airbus A380 | Airbus

By Sky Industry News

Dec 22, 2024

A bird caused a stir on an EVA Air flight at New York's JFK International Airport on December 12th. The avian intruder was discovered in the cabin of Flight BR31, which was scheduled to fly to Taipei. Videos shared online show passengers and crew attempting to capture the bird using blankets.

EVA Air, one of Taiwan's largest airlines, assured that the incident did not affect flight operations. In one video, passengers can be seen actively trying to catch the bird, with one person standing on a seat while others urged him on.

Eventually, a man wearing an EVA Air jacket successfully caught the bird using his blanket. This individual was later identified as a member of EVA's ground crew. It remains unclear what happened to the bird after its capture or if any passengers were affected by its presence.

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Had it managed to stay aboard, the bird would have faced a long journey; the flight from New York to Taipei is over 17 hours long. The Boeing 777 used for this route is part of EVA Air's fleet that includes Airbus A330s, Airbus A321s, and Boeing 787s.

Birds occasionally enter aircraft cabins seeking refuge from extreme temperatures outside. An active pilot noted that while birds typically do not damage cabins directly, passenger reactions can cause disruption.

Bird strikes are known risks in aviation and have been responsible for rejected take-offs and crashes. A notable incident occurred in 2009 when US Airways Flight struck birds after departing LaGuardia Airport in NYC and had to land in the Hudson River.

Despite EVA Air's policy prohibiting birds in their cabins—only accompanied pet dogs, cats, and rabbits are allowed as checked baggage—the wild bird found its way inside.

"The accompanied pets, only dogs, cats, and rabbits can be transported on EVA Air's aircraft as checked baggage in the cargo compartment. Pets are not accepted in the cabin except for service dogs carried by disabled passengers," stated EVA Air regarding their policy.

This event adds to other unusual animal-related occurrences during flights worldwide.