Bird strike hits Monarch flight in Gibraltar, delays worse for lack of engineer

GIBRALTAR (Agencies) Last Friday, a Monarch flight was hit by what the airlines call a bird strike and was therefore delayed for several hours while an engineer was brought in from Málaga to check the aircraft for safety. The check proved that the plane was safe to fly but some of the passengers were upset by the delay. Whiole it is true that bird strikes and the subsequent checks are common to all airlines, the fact that there is no engineer available in Gibraltar adds to the time spent in delays. Aircraft parts have also been a problem on the Rock: when even the simplest they need replacing they have to be brought in from other airports where Monarch has a stock.