An early morning Istanbul\u2013bound Turkish Airlines plane was forced to return to Entebbe international Airport after spending one hour and 20 minutes circling overhead after take-off when it encountered a flock of birds following a heavy down pour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFlight number 606 departed Entebbe at 7.30 am for Istanbul while it was raining. Unfortunately, the aircraft experienced a bird strike during take-off. As a precautionary measure, the flight hovered in the Ugandan airspace before landing safely at Entebbe at 08.52 am,\u201d Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UCAA\u2019s spokesperson, Mr Vianney Luggya said: \u201cThere is a Bird Hazard unit at the airport, which undertakes a runway sweep (scaring away of birds) prior to any take-off or landing. That is how we have managed to reduce instances of this nature in spite of Entebbe being a bird sanctuary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aviation Experts speak out <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Aviation experts explained that because not all A330s planes are equipped with a fuel jettison system which is a customer-specified item , the pilot had to burn off fuel to achieve the maximum landing weight. This is the reason why the plane had to remain close proximity of the airport for over an hour before landing . Many Kampala residents who track flights were worried about the plane which remained in the same area for the long .<\/p>\n\n\n\n The plane resumed flight about two hours later after checks for airworthiness. \u201cThe Turkish Airlines flight number 606 has been cleared and departed Entebbe International Airport at 10:49 am with 281 passengers and crew on board,\u201d UCCA said in a separate statement at 11.17 am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Editor:msserwanga@gmail.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An early morning Istanbul\u2013bound Turkish Airlines plane was forced to return to Entebbe international Airport after spending one hour and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/flight.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13697,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/turkish-airlines-aborts-flight-due-to-safety-concerns-returns-to-entebbe-airport-ucaa\/","url_meta":{"origin":7972,"position":0},"title":"Turkish Airlines Aborts Flight Due To Safety Concerns Returns To Entebbe Airport-UCAA","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"January 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A Turkish Airlines aircraft aborted flight number TK612, en route from Uganda to Istanbul Turkey due to safety concerns and was forced to return to Entebbe International Airport on Sunday according to Uganda Civil Aviation Authority UCAA. An air transport regulator said here on Sunday that the flight did not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Airbus_A333_1737941733.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Airbus_A333_1737941733.webp 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Airbus_A333_1737941733.webp 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Airbus_A333_1737941733.webp 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16828,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/uganda-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-landing-in-johannesburg-after-cockpit-window-breaks-due-to-a-bird-strike-mid-air\/","url_meta":{"origin":7972,"position":1},"title":"Uganda Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Johannesburg after cockpit window breaks due to a bird strike mid-air","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"April 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A Uganda Airlines flight made an emergency return to O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Friday morning after one of the windscreens in the flight deck suddenly shattered shortly after take-off due to what is believed to have been a bird strike . The incident prompted an emergency but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775201440.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775201440.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775201440.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775201440.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14209,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/uganda-airlines-staff-in-community-clean-up-in-kigungu-entebbe\/","url_meta":{"origin":7972,"position":2},"title":"Uganda Airlines Staff In Community Clean-up in Kigungu, Entebbe","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"April 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Uganda Airlines staff were joined by residents of Kigungu in Entebbe when they engaged in a cleaning exercise aimed at sustainability and aviation safety. The initiative was part of the airline\u2019s broader Flight Path Sustainability Project, which aims to mitigate bird strikes at Entebbe International Airport through improved waste management\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ent.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ent.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ent.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ent.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ent.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5471,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/a-rwandaair-plane-skids-off-the-runway-at-entebbe-airport-due-to-bad-weather-all-passengers-safe\/","url_meta":{"origin":7972,"position":3},"title":"A RwandaAir Plane skids off the runway at Entebbe Airport due to bad weather -all passengers safe","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"April 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority Spokesman , Mr. Vianney Luggya has stated that a RwandAir passenger plane with about 60 people on board skidded off the runway while landing at the Entebbe International Airport in Uganda early Wednesday. According to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, the passengers and crew disembarked\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/rwandair.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/rwandair.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/rwandair.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/rwandair.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/rwandair.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4672,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/nsenene-man-whisked-off-on-arrival-at-entebbe-from-dubai\/","url_meta":{"origin":7972,"position":4},"title":"Nsenene Man Whisked off on Arrival at Entebbe from Dubai","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"November 29, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Immigration officers on Sunday arrested and held Paul Mubiru, the\u00a0\u00a026-year-old man\u00a0who sold\u00a0nsenene (grasshopper delicacy)\u00a0aboard Uganda Airlines Flight 446 on Friday. In a swift move that\u00a0most passengers didn't even notice because it was executed by immigration and not police officers, Mubiru was arrested immediately after his flight from Dubai landed at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/IMG-20211127-WA0267.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/IMG-20211127-WA0267.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/IMG-20211127-WA0267.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/IMG-20211127-WA0267.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14683,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/my-experience-flying-the-ugandan-airlines-gatwick-to-entebbe-this-week\/","url_meta":{"origin":7972,"position":5},"title":"My Experience Flying the Ugandan Airlines Gatwick to Entebbe This Week","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"June 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Alex Kakande Like many Ugandans living in the diaspora, the direct flight from Gatwick Airport in London to Entebbe Airport was a sign of relief when it was announced. Who doesn\u2019t want to have a direct flight from London to Entebbe, Kampala? So, when the time came for me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Uganda-airlines.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Uganda-airlines.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Uganda-airlines.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Uganda-airlines.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Uganda-airlines.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0aOV-24A","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7974,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7972\/revisions\/7974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}