The flight to Spain turned into an unexpected drama in the clouds for dozens of passengers.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, a Wizz Air plane (flight W67021) bound for Barcelona, Spain, took off from MR Štefánika Airport in Bratislava. The machine successfully lifted off the ground at 9:10 am. Shortly after take-off, however, instead of a course to the southwest of Europe, he began to perform non-standard maneuvers over the territory of Slovakia.
In the area between Šaľa and Galanta, the plane suddenly turned and headed back over the capital, where it had to make an emergency but safe landing, he writes List.
Behind the unexpected twist was a dangerous situation that the pilots had to deal with immediately – a collision with birds right during the take-off phase.
Pilots bet on safety and strict protocols
The spokeswoman of the airline company Wizz Air confirmed to the media that the crew proceeded strictly according to safety regulations and a high standard of training.
“Wizz Air confirms that on June 17, flight W67021 from Bratislava to Barcelona hit a bird during takeoff. In accordance with strict safety regulations and the high level of crew training, the pilots decided to return to the departure airport to carry out a mandatory technical inspection of the aircraft,” the company told the portal Parameter.
At the same time, the air carrier emphasized that the safety of passengers and crew always comes first. After a collision with a bird (the so-called bird strike), a thorough technical inspection is a mandatory standard, and the machine cannot take off again until the mechanics confirm that the engines and fuselage are in 100% condition.
Passengers thus had to wait at the Bratislava airport. After managing the situation, solving technical issues and with a delay of approximately two hours, the plane successfully took off again at 11:36 a.m. in the direction of Barcelona.
The company thanked the crew for their professionalism and the passengers for their patience.
Similar cases from the recent past: Birds and technical returns regularly haunt airports
Collisions with birds or unexpected technical complications shortly after take-off are not rare in aviation. Bratislava Airport has seen similar cases recently:
- May 31, 2026 – Repeated drama over Galanta: Exactly less than three weeks ago, passengers on the domestic line from Bratislava to Košice experienced an almost identical scenario. After takeoff, the plane made two circles over Šaľa and Sládkovičovo, and the crew decided for safety reasons to immediately return to the Bratislava runway.
- The problem with birds is growing globally: Although modern turbine engines are built to handle the suction of smaller objects, a more massive collision risks serious damage to the compressor blades or even an engine fire. Airports around the world deal with similar emergency returns due to chickens almost on a daily basis, with the most risky being the morning and evening hours during migration periods.
