Air Macau flight NX682 to Tokyo’s Narita Airport had to turn back yesterday due to technical difficulties, local broadcaster TDM reports. The flight’s 124 passengers landed safely back in Macao around three hours after takeoff and were able to board another flight later in the day.
The local airport operator attributed the issue to an engine mishap, with Air Macau pointing to a lightning strike as the possible cause. The SAR saw intermittent thunderstorms throughout Thursday.
The flight took off as scheduled at 9:40 am, heading northeast towards Japan. After around an hour of flying, the plane reversed course above Taiwan and headed back to Macao, landing at 12:52 pm.
[See more: Air Macau’s financial woes deepen with a significant 2024 loss]
Following the diversion, passengers were able to board another aircraft at 2:25 pm, which reached Tokyo without incident.
The news was first reported by public transport enthusiasts on social media, who noted that the model, an Airbus A320-271N, is equipped with engines from American aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. Quality issues surrounding the company’s turbofan engines led to the grounding of hundreds of Airbus A320-271N planes for inspection last year.
An Air New Zealand flight of the same model likewise had to divert midway through its flight last December after an engine problem.
