WATCH: FedEx cargo plane caught fire mid-flight after bird strike

A FedEx Boeing 767 cargo plane made an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday after a bird strike caused an engine fire during takeoff, officials said.

The aircraft, bound for Memphis, declared an emergency shortly after departure and returned to the airport.

"Our B767 crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark (after) dealing with the resulting engine damage, including an engine fire," FedEx said in a statement, praising the pilots' professionalism.

The fire was contained to the engine, and the crew followed standard emergency procedures, a Port Authority spokesperson said.

The US National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the incident.

The aviation industry faced several significant accidents recently that has raised concerns about air travel safety.

One notable incident involved Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, which crash-landed in Toronto, Canada, resulting in injuries to 18 passengers.

In response, Delta offered each passenger a $30,000 compensation, a move that legal experts advised accepting without waiving rights to further claims.

Another tragic event was the crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 at Muan International Airport in South Korea.

The aircraft suffered a bird strike during its approach, leading to a malfunction in the hydraulic system controlling the landing gear.

Despite the pilots' efforts to perform an emergency landing, the plane crashed, resulting in the loss of 174 lives.

Investigations revealed that Muan Airport had the highest rate of bird strikes among South Korean regional airports, highlighting the need for improved wildlife management around airfields.

In the United States, a series of accidents ended a 15-year streak of aviation safety. A mid-air collision between a passenger plane and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter resulted in 67 fatalities.

Experts attributed these incidents to factors such as a shortage of air traffic controllers, a significant reduction in pilots due to retirements and pandemic-related changes, and increased demand for air travel stressing the system.