WOLFSBURG, Germany – An aircraft carrying the Arsenal women’s team back from their Champions League semi-final clash with Wolfsburg was forced to evacuate passengers on Sunday, April 23, 2023, after a bird flew into the engine shortly before takeoff, causing a loud bang and sparking flames in the left engine of the Boeing 737.
The incident occurred at the Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport, just hours after the team earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw in Sunday’s first leg.
The pilots quickly evacuated the passengers, including Arsenal’s first team squad, to safety, and no injuries were reported.
Arsenal have released a statement on Monday, April 24, 2023, confirming the team returned home safely the following morning after spending the night in Wolfsburg.
The statement reads: “Our aircraft developed a technical issue prior to take-off in Germany on Sunday evening. As a result, we remained in Wolfsburg overnight on Sunday before flying back to England on Monday afternoon. We would like to thank the staff onboard the aircraft and on the ground at the airport for their assistance.”
The team used a Maltese airline to fly to Germany on Saturday, and were due to fly back with the same airline the following evening. However, after the engine caught fire, they were forced to switch to a replacement airline to return to England on Monday morning.
Following their dramatic return from Germany, Arsenal can now focus on trying to secure their place in this year’s Champions League final.
The team will play their second leg against Wolfsburg on May 3, with a place in the final at stake.
