(file image) Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
An Air New Zealand flight had to be cancelled on Saturday morning after a bird strike.
Flight NZ5719 from Christchurch experienced the bird strike upon landing in Invercargill, Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren said.
The aircraft was looked over after the incident by the airline's engineering team before it returned to service.
Flight NZ5702 from Invercargill to Christchurch was subsequently cancelled.
Marren said Air New Zealand wanted to thank customers for their patience while it worked through the disruption.
In New Zealand, the bird strike rate at airports is about four in 10,000 aircraft movements, according to the New Zealand Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group.
About 90 percent of cases occur at low altitudes at airports, during take-off or landing, according to the group.
Worldwide, bird strikes cause more than $1.2 billion in aircraft damage annually.