SINGAPORE : A Singapore Airlines flight bound for Singapore from London's Heathrow Airport was diverted to Frankfurt, Germany after it experienced a technical issue on Thursday Nov 24. Flight SQ 317, an Airbus A 380 aircraft, carried 379 passengers and 27 crew members on board, Singapore Airlines said in a statement.
Flight tracker FlightRadar 24 stated that the flight left Heathrow at around 11.20 am London time and was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 7.50 am on Friday.
The flight landed uneventfully at Frankfurt Airport at around 2 pm local time, with all passengers and crew on board.
FlightRadar 24 said on Twitter that the flight jettisoned or dumped fuel while diverting to Frankfurt.
This procedure is used by aircraft in emergency situations before returning to the airport shortly after takeoff, or if landing short of the intended destination, to reduce weight.
Media outlet AviationSource said the flight declared an emergency over Europe while en route to Singapore.
It noted that the flight tracker website RadarBox indicated a sharp descent, potentially pressurization or medical priority emergency. At around 12.55 pm UK time, it noted that the flight was approaching Frankfurt Airport, where it landed shortly after.
A Twitter user, identified as Bea, posted photos from inside the cabin and said they were exiting the plane.
She said it's a serious issue and she can't get the spare parts. In another tweet, she said hotels have been booked for passengers and coaches are waiting for them to get to the airport.
User RowanJ wrote that his girlfriend, who was on the flight, said that it was being abandoned Problems more serious than we thought, quoting her. Disembarking to a hotel. The tweet said that all other flights are very busy, so there was limited rebooking available at the time.
Singapore Airlines said that arrangements are being made to assist all customers. SIA apologizes for the inconvenience this has caused.
The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. An SIA flight from Paris to Singapore was diverted to Baku, Azerbaijan in September due to a technical issue.