Aeroflot flight drama: Phuket return sparks hacker rumours
Airline silent as speculation grows over cyberattack’s possible link to flight turnaround
An Aeroflot flight bound for Novosibirsk was forced to return to Phuket International Airport yesterday morning just minutes after takeoff, following what was reported as a technical malfunction, but speculation is swirling after the airline confirmed a cyberattack just one day earlier.
The Airbus A330, operating as flight SU637, took off at 9.53am local time, around 30 minutes behind schedule. But according to FlightRadar24, the aircraft circled over the island for nearly an hour before safely landing back at Phuket. By 7.20pm, the aircraft, registered as RA-73782, remained grounded on the tarmac.
Russian-language outlet Novosti Phuketa, the sister publication of The Phuket News, reported that no official statement had been made by Aeroflot on its website or social media channels.
Citing Russian news source Novaya Sibir, the publication reported that the return was due to a technical glitch detected shortly after departure.
“According to official statements from the company, the plane from Phuket was unable to fly to Novosibirsk, not because of problems after the hacking, a technical malfunction was detected on the aircraft.”
The mention of hacking refers to a cyberattack on Aeroflot’s IT systems that occurred on Monday, July 28, causing major disruption to both domestic and international flights. While the airline acknowledged the attack and said operations returned to normal by the next morning, it has made no specific reference to flight SU637.
This lack of clarity has led to online speculation among passengers and aviation followers that the flight may have been indirectly affected by the cyber incident, though this remains unconfirmed.
Passengers from flight SU637 have been provided accommodation in Phuket, with a rescheduled departure planned for today, July 30, according to Russian media. It is not yet known whether the original aircraft will be used or if a replacement will be sent.
Aeroflot has so far offered no timeline for when the aircraft will be cleared for departure.
For now, stranded passengers will have to wait it out in paradise, albeit with a slightly more stressful end to their Thai holiday.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
