Summary
- Emirates flight hits flock of flamingos upon landing in Mumbai, leading to deaths of about 40 birds.
- The aircraft was damaged and remains on the ground in Mumbai.
- Environmental activists believe power lines in Thane Creek Wildlife Sanctuary may have caused the birds to fly off course.
An Emirates flight suffered a huge bird strike incident on Monday after striking dozens of flamingos upon approach to Mumbai. Almost 40 flamingos were discovered dead around a suburb close to the airport, with the Boeing 777 landing safely without further incident.
Emirates 777 hits flock of flamingos
The incident happened on Monday evening as Emirates Flight EK508 from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Mumbai International Airport (BOM) was on approach around 6km out from the airport over the Mumbai suburb of Ghatkopar. The flight – carrying around 310 passengers – landed safely at around 21:30 local time, with Emirates crew reporting the strike soon after touching down.
Photo: Flightradar24
In a statement, Emirates said,
“Emirates can confirm that EK508 from Dubai to Mumbai on 20 May was involved in a bird strike incident upon landing. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked without injury, however sadly a number of flamingos were lost and Emirates is cooperating with the authorities on the matter.”
Residents in the area alerted authorities about scattered bird carcasses and body parts, including beaks and claws, around the neighborhood – Forest Department officials arrived in the area and began collecting the remains of the unlucky birds, with the carcasses to be sent for an autopsy. An estimated 39 birds have been recovered and there are likely to be a few more as yet undiscovered.
Emirates has also confirmed that the aircraft involved in the incident sustained damage, but did not elaborate on the severity. The return flight to Dubai that evening was canceled, and affected passengers were accommodated overnight before boarding a replacement aircraft the next day. The damaged aircraft is a 777-300ER, registered as A6-ENT, approaching 10 years old after joining the Emirates fleet in August 2014 – Simple Flying has reached out to Emirates for an update on the aircraft and will provide an update accordingly.
Medium or large birds?
Mumbai welcomes hordes of flamingos every winter, which comes to the region’s wetlands between November and May each year. Both the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) and Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) can be found during this period, and it hasn’t been confirmed which type was involved in the birdstrike. The Lesser Flamingo would qualify as a medium-sized bird with a typical weight of between 1.2kg and 2.7kg (2.6 to 6 lbs).

Related
Here’s What Happens During A Bird Strike
When a collision occurs between an aircraft and an airborne creature.
However, Greater Flamingos are bigger with a typical weight of between 2kg and 4kg (4.4 to 8.8 lbs), categorizing them as large birds. Engines are required to undergo bird ingestion testing to ensure they can hold up in the event of bird strikes – however, running into flocks of medium or large birds is a different matter to a single bird strike.
It was a flock of Canadian geese that disabled the engines on US Airways Flight 1549, forcing the Airbus A320 to ditch in the Hudson River. These birds are even larger than Greater Flamingos with a typical weight of between 2.5 to 6.5 kg (5.5 to 14 lbs).
Environment disturbances
Environmental activists have suggested that the birds were on an uncharacteristic flight path due to the presence of new power lines in the nearby Thane Creek Wildlife Sanctuary “causing disorientation to the birds.” As per the BBC, officials have released a statement saying they are not yet sure if the birds had deviated from their usual route.

Related
Opening Soon: A Brief Guide To Navi Mumbai International Airport
Mumbai’s second airport will take pressure off the congested BOM and expand capacity to the city.
Mumbai is also in the process of constructing a second airport, Navi Mumbai International Airport, which has faced stiff opposition from environmentalists. The airport is currently on course to open its first and second phases in 2025.