An unusual incident occurred on the evening of Sunday, August 16, at Heraklion’s “Nikos Kazantzakis” Airport in Crete, when a vulture perched on the tail fin of a Ryanair aircraft that was preparing for departure.
The large bird of prey refused to budge, prompting an immediate emergency response. Firefighters from Heraklion Airport’s 2nd Fire Station rushed to the tarmac and managed to safely approach and remove the bird without harming it.
How the Incident Unfolded
The story came to light through a Facebook post by the local page Dia-SOS-te ti Messara. According to the post, firefighter Antonis Petrakis shared details and photos of the operation. The images show the massive bird resting on the rear section of the plane as crew members carefully extracted it.
While a bird perched on a commercial jet makes for a striking sight, a creature of that size poses a serious aviation safety risk. Fire crews acted swiftly to clear the tail assembly, ensuring both the flight’s safety and the vulture’s well-being before the aircraft was cleared for takeoff.
Crete’s Wild Vulture Population
Crete is home to the largest island population of Griffon vultures in the world, with over 1,000 individuals inhabiting its rugged mountains and gorges.
Known locally as “natural sanitarians,” these large scavengers play a vital role in the island’s ecosystem by cleaning up fallen livestock, preventing the spread of diseases. Supported by traditional free-range pastoral farming, the birds are a frequent and protected sight soaring over the Cretan landscape—though encounters on an airport tarmac remain exceptionally rare.
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