Overview

• Flight IB579, operated by a two-month-old Airbus A321XLR (EC-OOJ), struck a large bird during its climb from Madrid–Barajas on August 3, shearing off the radome and damaging one engine.
• The crew declared an emergency and landed safely on runway 32L about 25 minutes after takeoff with no injuries among the 182 passengers and crew.
• Videos and photos showed a gaping hole in the nose cone and smoke filling the cabin, prompting passengers to deploy oxygen masks.
• Iberia has towed the jet for detailed structural and avionics inspections and suspended its service until repairs are complete.
• Travelers affected by the cancellation have been rebooked on alternate flights as the airline has not provided an estimated repair timeline.