SQ flight taxis back to gates after pilots encounter technical fault

A Singapore Airlines flight preparing to take off from Changi Airport's Terminal 3 had to taxi back to the gates on Wednesday morning, after its pilots received a technical fault message. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
A Singapore Airlines flight preparing to take off from Changi Airport's Terminal 3 had to taxi back to the gates on Wednesday morning, after its pilots received a technical fault message. -- PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - A Singapore Airlines flight preparing to take off from Changi Airport's Terminal 3 had to taxi back to the gates on Wednesday morning, after its pilots received a technical fault message.

The 265 passengers on SQ830, which was bound for Shanghai, had to disembark from the Airbus 380 so engineers could inspect the aircraft and resolve the problem. The plane was also carrying 25 crew.

Originally scheduled to depart T3 at 9.20am, SQ830 returned to the gates at 9.55am, an airline spokesman confirmed.

"Passengers re-boarded the aircraft at 11.30am after our engineers declared the aircraft serviceable and the flight departed at 12.10pm," the spokesman added.

Among the passengers on board was Mr Brian Jenner, 67, a marine surveyor.

His wife, Mrs Lorna Jenner, 70, who alerted The Straits Times to the delayed flight, said: "According to my husband's Facebook page, the plane was taxiing around for a while before returning back... they asked all of them to get off the plane."

While waiting for the inspections to be completed, passengers of SQ830 were provided with breakfast at the airport.

adrianl@sph.com.sg

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