KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — A Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane en route to Hyderabad from Kuala Lumpur last night made an air turnback due to an auto-pilot defect.
In a statement, the carrier said flight MH198 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 10.20 pm Saturday and touched down safely at the airport in Sepang at 2.01 am today.
“Claims circulating on social media that the aircraft was on fire are untrue,” MAS said. It said the defect did not have any impact on the safety of the aircraft or passengers but, as a precautionary measure, the operating captain decided to turn back.
MAS said MH198 had been rescheduled to operate as MH198D, leaving Kuala Lumpur at noon today and is expected to arrive in Hyderabad at 1.35 pm the same day.
“Malaysia Airlines regrets the disruption to its guests’ travel plans,” the statement said, adding that safety of its passengers remained of utmost importance to the airline.
The carrier said it appreciated cooperation from the public in refraining from making speculation to avoid discomfort among air travellers.
–– BERNAMA
