KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines confirmed that its flight MH21 operating from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to KL International Airport on Jan 7 has returned to CDG shortly after departure as a precautionary measure following an engine indication anomaly.
According to Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the flight crew requested priority handling and complied with air traffic control instructions, including the use of an emergency transponder code in line with standard aviation safety procedure to facilitate a safe return to CDG for technical inspections.
"The aircraft landed safely at 3:35 pm local time in Paris," the group said in a statement through Whatsapp today.
It said affected passengers have been reallocated to alternative carriers where available, while some were accommodated at hotels near the airport.
The replacement flight MH21D is scheduled to depart CDG at 5 pm local time today.
"Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets the inconvenience and disruptions to our passengers' travel plans. Safety remains the number one priority to the airline," it added.
Based on data from the flight tracking website FlightAware.com, Flight MH21 took off from CDG at 11.55am local time (Central European Time).
"It took off around 45 minutes later than scheduled due to snow conditions at the airport.
"The aircraft, registered 9M-MAB (known for its long-haul flights), departed from runway 27L but halted its climb at an altitude of 4,572m.
"The crew subsequently issued an emergency declaration of 'squawk 7700' (the universal aviation transponder code for a general emergency) while in central France airspace following an issue with the plane’s guidance system," it said.
According to the website, the aircraft returned and safely landed at CDG at 3.36pm local time.
