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Jin Air flight heading to Vietnam returns home following bird strike

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Jin Air planes are parked at the Incheon International Airport. Yonhap

Jin Air planes are parked at the Incheon International Airport. Yonhap

A Jin Air airplane bound for Vietnam returned home shortly after takeoff from the southeastern port city of Busan due to a bird strike, industry officials said Friday.

The airplane departed Gimhae International Airport in Busan, some 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for Nha Trang at 7:55 p.m. Thursday, but was struck by a flock of birds. The plane circled the airport to burn off fuel and landed at Incheon International Airport near Seoul.

A total of 150 passengers and six crew members were aboard the plane at the time.

A Jin Air official said they decided to head to Incheon airport due to nighttime takeoff and landing curfews at Gimhae airport.