Russian Boeing-737 turns back to Siberian airport after reporting depressurisation: Report

A Russian passenger plane operated by S7 Airlines flying to the southern Russian resort city of Sochi on Friday turned back to Novosibirsk airport in Siberia to check its cabin pressure systems, the airline and Siberian prosecutors said.

The flightradar24.com tracking website indicated that the plane, a Boeing-737 with seating capacity for 176 passengers manufactured in 2001, sent an emergency signal. The site tracked the plane turning back and then repeatedly circling and flying in large loops.

"Flight S7 5103, travelling from Novosibirsk to Sochi, is returning to its departure airport to check the cabin pressure control system," the airline told Reuters.


The airline said in a statement that the plane was using up fuel before landing and that a replacement aircraft had been prepared to carry passengers to their destination.

The Western Siberian Transport Prosecutor's office said it was monitoring the incident.

The incident comes a day after an An-24 passenger plane crashed in Russia's far east as it was preparing to land, killing all 48 people on board in an incident that spotlighted the continued use of old, Soviet-era aircraft.