Iberia's Brand-New A321XLR Suffers Engine Damage After Bird Strike, Returns to Madrid
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An Iberia Airbus A321XLR, with registration EC-OOJ and in commercial service for just a few weeks, was forced to return to Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) this Sunday, August 3rd, after colliding with a bird minutes after takeoff. The aircraft, operating flight IB579 to Paris-Orly Airport (ORY), sustained visible damage to its nose and one of its engines.
The aircraft, one of the newest in the Spanish airline's fleet and globally, had taken off from the Barajas runway when the impact occurred during the initial climb phase. The bird first struck the radome—the front cone of the fuselage that protects the weather radar—and was subsequently ingested by the left engine, a CFM International LEAP-1A.
Following standard safety procedures for such incidents, the flight crew decided to halt the climb, declare an emergency, and immediately return to Madrid. The landing was completed without any issues approximately 20 minutes after takeoff, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew on board.
Images and videos captured from the ground and quickly circulated on social media show the extent of the damage. The impact destroyed part of the aircraft's nose, exposing components of the radar. Additionally, damage is visible on multiple fan blades of the left engine, demonstrating the force of the collision.
AirNavRadar data shows the flight path the aircraft made:
What happens when a bird hits an airplane? A bird strike is a relatively common event in aviation. Aircraft and their engines are designed and certified to withstand such collisions to a certain degree. The standard procedure, especially if engine damage is suspected, is for pilots to return to the airport of origin for a full technical inspection, as happened in this case. The greatest risk occurs during takeoff and landing, where altitude is low and bird concentration is higher.
Iberia became the global launch customer for the Airbus A321XLR, receiving its first unit in late 2024. This model is notable for its ability to operate long-haul routes with a single-aisle aircraft, offering new efficiency for the company's transatlantic network. The involved aircraft, EC-OOJ, was delivered by Airbus in early July and had commenced commercial flights around July 10, 2025, making it one of the most recent units in operation worldwide.
Bird incidents are a known and managed risk in the aviation industry. Airports implement various wildlife control measures to mitigate their presence near runways. Nevertheless, collisions are unavoidable. Jet engine certification includes rigorous bird ingestion tests to ensure that, even after a failure, the engine can be shut down safely without compromising the structural integrity of the wing or the aircraft.
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