Victoria-bound WestJet plane lands in Vancouver after hitting bird

A WestJet plane bound for Victoria from Calgary has landed in Vancouver after striking a bird in the air on Tuesday.

A statement from the company says WestJet flight 209 reported hitting the bird while inbound to Victoria.

The statement said a decision was made to divert to Vancouver due to the availability of maintenance resources.

It said the flight landed normally and the aircraft has subsequently been removed from service for required safety inspections.

WestJet said it sincerely apologizes for the interruption to passengers' travel plans and any inconvenience it may have caused.

It added all 31 passengers are being accommodated throughout the rest of the day on the next available flights.