Dublin Airport: Charlie gets his flight

A visitor to Dublin Airport had to wait a month and a half before his departure.

A starling had been trapped inside Dublin Airport‘s Terminal 1 for six weeks. The incident had captivated social media users and travellers alike, turning the bird into a minor celebrity.

The bird’s fame even prompted the airport to run a poll for people to give it a name. Some of the choices included: Flyin O’Driscoll, and Clarice, but with 89 per cent of the votes, Charlie (Bird) won hands down.

Feathered celebrity

For as long as six weeks, the small starling was seen fluttering about inside the terminal, leading to worries about its well-being.

Earlier, Dublin Airport took to social media: ‘We note the concern about the bird currently living in Terminal 1 at Dublin Airport.

‘Helping a small (and very speedy!) bird to get out of such a vast and busy building is no easy task. But the airport team is on the case and – in consultation with wildlife and bird experts – a process is underway which will get the bird safely on its way very soon.’

In an effort to reassure Charlie’s fans, they added: In the meantime, the public can be fully assured that the bird is getting plenty to eat and drink and is healthy.

The safe return of the bird to the wild is a top priority and we thank the public for leaving its rescue to the professionals. Stay tuned for further updates!’

Bon voyage

Finally, on Tuesday, April 23, officials from Dublin Airport revealed that after numerous weeks of concern from the public and viral videos on TikTok, the feathered traveller was finally set free.

Dublin airport announced: ‘A happy update from Dublin Airport: “Charlie” the starling has been rescued from Terminal 1 and is now on his way back to his friends in the wild…’

They later added: ‘Today is hunky dory for our T1 bird, Charlie, as his T1 adventures have come to an end. The best take off of the day.’ The massage was accompanied with a brief video of an airport staff member escorting Charlie out.

Relief on social media

The successful rescue sparked a series of humorous exchanges online. Treasa wondered: ‘Has he paid in full for his B’nB?’ The airport swifty replied: ‘We have a heart when it comes to these things, Treasa. He has 14 days to square up.’

Another comment asked the question: ‘Are you unveiling a statue in Charlie’s honour? Glad to see they were safely released,’ to which the airport humorously answered: ‘Charlie has, shall we say, left his mark at various points in the terminal!’

While Alex commented. ‘It’s Charlie’s Terminal. We just get to travel through it, under his watchful eye.’

The freeing of Charlie the starling not only relieved animal lovers but also provided a moment of light-heartedness and community interaction for all involved.