Hong Kong Airlines flight’s hiccup leads to Bangkok u-turn

A technical glitch forced a Hong Kong Airlines flight to make an abrupt return to Bangkok shortly after taking off for Hong Kong. The incident occurred yesterday, March 31, and involved flight HX780, which was ferrying over 200 passengers.

Flight data indicates that the Airbus A330-300 twin-jet aircraft began to circle the airspace shortly after its 2am departure. By 2.25am, the decision had been made to return to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.

The airline cited a non-specific “technical issue” that occurred shortly after take-off as the reason for the abrupt return. Ensuring the safety of all on board, the aircraft safely landed back at Bangkok airport without any injuries reported among the passengers.

In their statement, Hong Kong Airlines confirmed that the necessary safety protocols were followed. To minimise inconvenience, the airline arranged for same-day flights to Hong Kong for the affected passengers. In addition, it provided hotel accommodations for those who needed to wait.

“We thank the passengers for their understanding,” stated the airline. They also reported the incident to the relevant authorities, following their standard procedures, and extended an apology for any inconvenience caused.

Following the resolution of the technical issue, the flight finally left Bangkok at 7.41pm, arriving in Hong Kong at 10.55pm, according to flightradar24.com. This arrival was significantly delayed, occurring more than 16 hours later than the original scheduled arrival time of 5.55am, reported Bangkok Post.

In related airline news, Jetstar Airways faced criticism from passengers when a flight from Bangkok to Singapore was delayed by more than 24 hours.

The low-budget airline came under fire after 161 passengers found themselves stranded at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Wednesday, March 13.

Passengers were scheduled to board Jetstar Asia flight 3K516 for a 1.35pm departure, Singapore time, with an arrival at Changi Airport expected by 5.05pm. Unfortunately, the airline failed to leave the tarmac at Thailand’s premier airport, leaving passengers waiting until 10pm before the flight was eventually cancelled.