TUI flight to Cyprus declares mid-air emergency after taking off from UK

TUI have issued a statement

The Boeing 737 flight was on its way to Paphos after taking off from Cardiff at 4.30pm on Sunday.

However, the flight was forced to divert to Birmingham Airport after an emergency was declared onboard following a 'bird strike'.

The flight, whose number was TOM 6754, was met with emergency services upon its arrival at Birmingham.

Flight maps show that the aircraft circled Swansea Bay at around 3000ft before it reached 12,000ft and headed towards Birmingham.

After landing at 5.30pm, the plane was met with emergency vehicles, including four fire appliances, and passengers and crew disembarked safely.

A spokesperson for TUI confirmed that the incident was caused by a bird strike, and the diversion was a precaution.

"To confirm, there was no engine failure," they said, via The Mirror. "There was a bird strike after take-off and the diversion that followed was a precautionary routine procedure."

A spokesperson for Cardiff Airport added: "We are aware of an incident involving flight TOM6754 from Cardiff to Paphos. The safety of our passengers is our number one priority. The aircraft diverted to Birmingham Airport (BHX) and landed safely at approximately 17:30."