A flight to China was cut short after the aircraft caught on fire after it hit a bird soon after takeoff in Rome, airport officials said.The engine of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operated by China's Hainan Airlines caught on fire shortly after takeoff at 9:55 a.

A Hainan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was forced to return to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport shortly after takeoff when the aircraft’s right engine caught fire mid-air. The Shenzhen-bound flight, carrying 249 passengers and 16 crew members,

The engine of a Hainan Airlines' Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner caught fire shortly after taking off from Rome's Fiumicino Airport, according to reports. Italian news outlets including Repubblica and Corriere della Sera have published videos appearing to show one of the engines of the aircraft going ablaze.