SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines SIA flight bound for Singapore from London's Heathrow Airport was diverted to Frankfurt, Germany after an issue with cabin pressure was detected.
A spokesman for Airbus A 380 aircraft, flight SQ 317, carried 379 passengers and 27 crew members on board, the pilots decided to divert to Frankfurt as a precautionary measure after detecting a cabin pressurisation issue, said an airline spokeswoman.
Despite the technical issue after takeoff, no oxygen masks were deployed during the flight, said SIA.
Flight tracker FlightRadar 24 reported that the flight left Heathrow at 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.
The aircraft was grounded for repairs and affected customers were assisted with hotel accommodation and meals.
A relief flight, SQ 9326, is scheduled to depart Singapore at 8 am on Friday and arrive in Frankfurt at 2 pm on the same day.
The flight is expected to depart Frankfurt at SQ 9325 at 3.55 pm local time and arrive in Singapore at 11.05 am on Saturday.
FlightRadar 24 said on Twitter that the flight jettisoned fuel or dumped fuel while diverting to Frankfurt.
This procedure is used by aircraft in emergency situations before returning to the airport 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.
The flight tracker website RadarBox indicated a sharp descent, potentially pressurisation or medical priority emergency. At about 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 was a serious issue and she can't get the spare parts. 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 it was being abandoned by 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.
Arrangements are being made to assist all customers, according to Singapore Airlines. SIA apologizes for the inconvenience this has caused.
The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. In September, the SIA flight from Paris to Singapore was diverted to Baku, Azerbaijan due to a technical issue.