A Qantas aircraft bound for Auckland has been forced to turn back to Sydney after colliding with a bird mid-flight.
Flight QF141, which took off about 7am, changed course and starting returning to Sydney about 30 minutes into the trip to New Zealand on Friday morning.
Data from a flight tracker shows that the Boeing 737 travelled over the Tasman Sea before making a U-turn and returning to Sydney airport.
It safely landed at about 9am.
No passengers or crew were injured, and it is not known if there was any damage to the aircraft.
‘One of our flights bound for Auckland returned to Sydney this morning following a bird strike shortly after take-off,’ a Qantas spokesperson said.
‘We will re-accommodate customers as soon as possible.
‘We appreciate our customers’ understanding and apologise for the inconvenience.’
Data from a flight tracker shows that the Boeing 737 travelled over the Tasman Sea before making a U-turn and returning to the airport