PETALING JAYA: AirAsia Indonesia confirmed that its flight QZ7633 from Surabaya to Bandung at 9pm (local time) on Saturday returned to apron (RTA) due to a technical issue.
It said in a statement that the Airbus A320-200 (PK-AZC) carrying a total of 161 passengers experienced an Auxilliary Power Unit (APU) auto shutdown during pushback.
"The captain returned to the gate as the aircraft had to undergo further check for safety reasons," it said.
APU is a device located at the tail part of an aircraft that provides energy for electrical Power and Pneumatic systems when the aircraft is on the ground and before the main engines start.
APU has a protection system which automatically shuts the APU down when it detects any system malfunctions such as overspeed, low oil pressure, oil filter problems or oil overheating to ensure safe operations.
Chief executive officer Sunu Widyatmoko said: "The captain has fulfilled the standard operating procedure (SOP) by making the decision to Return-to-Apron (RTA) in order to ensure operational safety.
"Further checks were completed by our engineering team according to their standard operating procedures.
"After the final check was completed, the aircraft was released to fly about an hour later. Despite of the sensationalized coverage, there were no safety issues and the aircraft landed safely in Bandung," he added.
AirAsia Indonesia has apologized for any inconveniences caused.
It said in a statement that the Airbus A320-200 (PK-AZC) carrying a total of 161 passengers experienced an Auxilliary Power Unit (APU) auto shutdown during pushback.
"The captain returned to the gate as the aircraft had to undergo further check for safety reasons," it said.
APU is a device located at the tail part of an aircraft that provides energy for electrical Power and Pneumatic systems when the aircraft is on the ground and before the main engines start.
APU has a protection system which automatically shuts the APU down when it detects any system malfunctions such as overspeed, low oil pressure, oil filter problems or oil overheating to ensure safe operations.
Chief executive officer Sunu Widyatmoko said: "The captain has fulfilled the standard operating procedure (SOP) by making the decision to Return-to-Apron (RTA) in order to ensure operational safety.
"Further checks were completed by our engineering team according to their standard operating procedures.
"After the final check was completed, the aircraft was released to fly about an hour later. Despite of the sensationalized coverage, there were no safety issues and the aircraft landed safely in Bandung," he added.
AirAsia Indonesia has apologized for any inconveniences caused.
Related article: Engine of AirAsia flight shuts down just before taking off
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