A Jazeera Airways plane collided with a foreign object thought to be a tethered military balloon on its approach to Kuwait on Sunday, according to a report by Arabian Business.
The aircraft – Flight J9787 from Riyadh – suffered damage to one of its engines when it came into contact with the structure, the airline said in a statement on Twitter.
بيان من شركة طيران الجزيرة حول الواقعة التي تعرضت لها الرحلة رقم 787 J9 العائدة من الرياض إلى الكويت في 27 أغسطس.#طيران_الجزيرة pic.twitter.com/YDoCyv0tzG
— طيران الجزيرة (@JazeeraAirways) August 28, 2017
However, it continued to operate normally and landed in Kuwait without mishap or injury. All passengers disembarked and a routine inspection uncovered the damage to the engine, the statement said.
The Civil Aviation Authority is now investigating the incident, with cooperation from Jazeera Airways, and the plane is under repair in Kuwait.
The statement from Jazeera Airlines added: “The safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance to Jazeera Airways at all times.”
A detailed account of the incident from respected journal the Aviation Herald said the Jazeera Airways A320 was on approach to Kuwait International Airport when it was instructed to join a holding pattern due to another aircraft with a medical emergency being prioritised for landing.
