By Simon Hradecky, created Saturday, Dec 19th 2020 16:41Z, last updated Saturday, Dec 19th 2020 16:41Z

An Alitalia Airbus A320-200, registration EI-EIC performing flight AZ-204 from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was accelerating for takeoff from Fiumicino's runway 25 when the crew observed a flock of birds, believed to be gulls, sitting on the runway and preparing for departure. The crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about 74 knots over ground), the birds flew up and departed, while the crew brought the aircraft down to taxi speed, vacated the runway avoiding a bird strike, returned to the threshold runway 25 and departed without further conflict, from a then unoccupied runway, about 17 minutes after the rejected takeoff. The aircraft landed in London without further incident about 10 minutes past schedule.