Singapore Airlines jet returns to Changi due to faulty aircon

SINGAPORE: A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight was forced to return to base after taking off from the Changi Airport here following a fault with two of the aircraft's air conditioning units.

An SIA A380 en route to London had to return to the airport within 35 minutes of the take-off.

Flight SQ322 took off at 2.23 am yesterday but turned back with several tyres deflated on landing at 3 am, The Sunday Times reported.

The passengers disembarked the plane on tarmac instead of the aerobridge at the terminal, said the report.

They were put on a replacement aircraft, which left at 11 am for London. The flight takes more than 13 hours to reach London.

The report said that there were at least two other incidents involving SIA's Airbus A-380 jets this year.

In February, Flight SQ 25 from New York to Singapore via Frankfurt landed at Changi after a 23-hour delay. The plane was inspected by engineers in Frankfurt for scratches on its body and later cleared for take-off.

In January, Singapore-bound Flight SQ317 made an emergency landing in Azerbaijan about 10 hours after leaving London. The plane had lost cabin pressure, apparently due to a leak in one of its doors. The door was replaced before the aircraft could return to Singapore.