SINGAPORE – Passengers aboard a Vistara flight to Mumbai on Wednesday found themselves back in Singapore after a malfunction forced its pilots to circle back.

According to the Flightradar website, flight UK106 departed Singapore at about 11am.

The Airbus A321 was then seen circling over Malaysia before returning to Changi Airport.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a spokesman for Vistara said a technical snag was detected in one of the engines of the aircraft shortly after take-off.

“As a precautionary step, the pilots decided to turn back and landed the aircraft safely at Changi Airport,” he said, adding that Vistara is working with partner airlines to offer alternative flight options to affected passengers.

Most of the passengers have been transferred to other flights scheduled to take off on the same day, he added.

Although Vistara did not say how many passengers were on board, its website states that the Airbus A321 in its fleet can seat 188 passengers.

ST understands that some passengers were transferred to a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight slated for departure on Wednesday evening. They were also given meal vouchers.

The latest malfunction comes a week after a Vistara flight departing from Delhi had to return after a malfunction was detected.

On Jan 9, the flight carrying 140 passengers from the Indian capital to Bhubaneshwar – a city in eastern India – had to make an emergency landing back in Delhi after it was found to have experienced hydraulic failure.

India’s aviation watchdog, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation, has launched an investigation into the incident.

Vistara is a joint venture between Tata Sons and SIA.