A group of Swifties missed out on seeing the Eras Tour after a bird flew into their plane

12.06.2024 - 12:01 / insider.com / Taylor Swift / Northern Ireland

A Taylor Swift fan from Northern Ireland said she and her fellow Swifties were prevented from attending the Eras Tour after a bird flew into their plane.

Kathryn Gallagher, 25, planned to fly from her hometown of Antrim, Belfast, to Edinburgh on Sunday for the third and final night of Swift's Scotland shows.

Gallagher told Business Insider that she originally planned to attend the show with a friend who lives in the Scottish capital. But she said she had to miss it after her easyJet flight was delayed by around seven hours.

"When I spoke to people in the airport, most people were on that flight to go specifically to the Eras Tour," Gallagher said in a video on TikTok.

Gallagher said staff explained that safety checks were required to ensure the plane would be able to fly.

The Federal Aviation Administration reports that the number of wildlife that striking aircraft is increasing. In 2023, the agency recorded around 19,400 strikes at 713 US airports.

Bird strikes can cause aircraft damage, delays, and cancellations, all of which can cost US airlines around $1.2 billion each year, BI previously reported.

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Speaking to BI, Gallagher estimated that at least 100 other people waiting to board the flight had also planned to see the concert. (BI could not verify this number).

According to Gallagher, the 55-minute easyJet flight was originally due to take off from Belfast at 12:45 p.m., but it didn't leave the airport until 8 p.m. Swift took the stage at around 7:15 p.m., and the show ended just after 10:15 p.m.

After waiting for more than six hours, Gallagher gave her ticket away and returned home at 6 p.m.

Gallagher said she spent an estimated £400, or around $510, on her round-trip flight, the concert ticket, and outfit: A purple dress embroidered with butterfly pins, inspired by Swift's "Speak Now" album.

The 25-year-old said she had been able to afford the trip by working two jobs. During the week, Gallagher works full-time as a sales consultant; at the weekend, she works at a bar.

"With the cost of living and stuff at the minute, one salary really isn't enough to enjoy the little luxuries you might've enjoyed a couple of years ago," she said.

A previous BI report showed that some fans in the US spent up to $20,000 on Eras Tour expenses in 2023. According to a Forbes estimate, the show grossed around $1.04 billion from the first 60 shows in 2023.

Gallagher said easyJet informed her that she wouldn't be eligible for compensation because "it was out of their control that a bird hit the plane."

"We are very sorry that flight EZY326 from Belfast to Edinburgh yesterday was delayed," an easyJet spokesperson said in a statement to BI on Monday.

"This was due to a bird strike on the aircraft's