PUBLISHED : 1 Apr 2024 at 10:22
HONG KONG: A Hong Kong Airlines flight going from Bangkok to the Asian financial hub was forced to return to the Thai capital due to a “technical issue” arising shortly after take-off on Sunday.
Flight HX780 was scheduled to depart Bangkok for Hong Kong at around 2am local time, with more than 200 passengers on board.
According to data from flight tracking websites, the Airbus A330-300 twin-jet aircraft circled airspace shortly after take-off at about 2.25am and eventually headed back to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Hong Kong Airlines said the flight experienced a “technical issue” shortly after take-off, without elaborating.
“To follow safety protocols, the flight immediately returned to Bangkok airport and landed safely at the airport with no one on board injured.”
The airline said it had been arranging same-day flights back to Hong Kong for the passengers.
“At the same time, hotel accommodation was provided for waiting passengers to rest,” it added. “We thank the passengers for their understanding.”
Hong Kong Airlines said it had reported the incident to the relevant authorities in accordance with standard procedures and it apologised for the inconvenience caused.
The flight left Bangkok at 7.41pm and landed in Hong Kong at 10.55pm on Sunday, more than 16 hours later than its original arrival time of 5.55am, according to flightradar24.com.