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LONDON - A passenger plane was forced to land after flying into a swarm of bees, leaving hundreds of holidaymakers stranded.
The Palmair Boeing 737 had to return to Bournemouth Airport, Dorset, shortly after take-off at 8:10 a.m. on Thursday following an engine surge.
The pilot decided to abort the flight to Faro in Portugal and returned for safety checks.
The plane's engine was thought to have become clogged with bees, which may have caused possible damage to a fan, the company said on Friday.
Huge clouds of bees have been seen around Bournemouth during the past few days, a spokeswoman added.
About 90 passengers were on board, with a further 106 waiting in the Algarve for the return flight.
A replacement plane finally left at 7:15 p.m. -- about 11 hours later.
- REUTERS
