KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — An AirAsia flight bound for Singapore was forced to return to Penang International Airport on the night of December 13, reportedly due to “adverse weather conditions”.
The delay resulted in the passengers aboard Flight AK1729 reaching their destination the next day, Singapore-based news outlet Mothership today.
Flight AK1729 took off around 9.30pm last Friday after an initial delay of approximately two hours but returned to Penang just 20 minutes later a “a minor incident caused by adverse weather conditions”, the budget airline told the daily in response to its inquiry.
“Following strict safety and operational protocols, the flight crew opted for a precautionary turnback to ensure the safety of all on board,” the airline was quoted as saying.
Passengers were then left waiting for about eight hours before the flight was cleared to depart again, but AirAsia Malaysia said they were “well taken care of” with meals and accommodation arrangements on the ground.
The passengers were also “provided with service recovery options” that included the choice of a free flight change within six months, credit to their account, or a full refund.
An unnamed passenger on the flight claimed that a broken windshield on the plane was the reason for the turnback, vernacular Chinese news portal Shin Min Daily News reported separately.
The passenger reportedly provided a picture purportedly showing a visible crack on one of the cockpit’s windshield panels.
The plane finally took off for Singapore at about 5.50am on December 14 and landed at Changi Airport at 7am, nearly 11 hours after its originally scheduled arrival time.
