Trip to Chile
Bird strike forces plane with Ramelow to land
10/10/2022 06:49 am
Thuringia’s head of state, Ramelow, is on his way to Chile together with business representatives. Shortly after taking off from Leipzig, the flight readiness machine has to make a stopover in Cologne. The reason: one or more birds collided with the plane in the air.
Thuringia’s Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow had to interrupt his trip to Chile late on Sunday evening. Because there were bird strikes after the departure in Leipzig, the machine had to land in Cologne, as a spokeswoman for the State Chancellery said. Ramelow was on his way to the South American country at the end of his one-year presidency of the Federal Council.
The left-wing politician said on Twitter: “Bird strike on the Airbus A350 of the German flight service. Forced break in Cologne.” The plane landed there around 11:30 p.m., the spokeswoman said. “The current status is that we are staying overnight in Cologne and at the same time the plane is being checked for possible damage.” The onward flight is planned for this Monday. The bird strike came soon after the start in Leipzig.
“The Bundeswehr’s flight readiness department at Cologne/Bonn Airport reacted at lightning speed and is already in the process of assessing the damage,” tweeted the State Chancellery. In Ramelow’s tweet it says: “The Kurt Schumacher will be thoroughly examined and hopefully made fit for the onward flight for tomorrow. Safety first!” The first stop of the one-week trip should be the city of Antofagasta, after which it should go on to the capital Santiago de Chile.
Ramelow is accompanied by a business delegation. In addition to political appointments, company visits and business talks were also planned. At the beginning of November, the Presidency of the Federal Council will go to Hamburg’s First Mayor Peter Tschentscher from the SPD. The symbolic handing over of the baton took place at the central celebration of the Day of German Unity, which was hosted by Thuringia’s state capital Erfurt this year. The presidency of the regional chamber changes annually between the prime ministers. The order is regulated in an agreement from 1950.