Passengers on an Emirates flight bound for Dubai have endured a frightening mid-air disruption after pilots were forced to shut down an engine and turn back to Adelaide.
Flight EK441 departed Adelaide Airport about 10.35pm on Monday but was forced to abandon its journey roughly two hours later after a technical fault was detected.
The Airbus A350-900 was approaching the South Australia-Western Australia border when the issue emerged, prompting pilots to turn the aircraft around.
Passengers said they were informed of an engine problem while in the air and told the plane would be returning to Adelaide, according to 7NEWS.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed to 7NEWS that pilots carried out a precautionary shutdown of the aircraft’s left engine, also known as Engine 1.
The plane landed safely in Adelaide early Tuesday morning, where airport firefighters were waiting on the tarmac as a precaution.
An Adelaide Airport spokesperson told the ABC that emergency crews were on standby when the aircraft touched down shortly after 2am.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the flight had returned to Adelaide following a technical issue.
“Emirates can confirm that flight EK441 has returned to Adelaide due a technical fault,” the spokesperson told The Nightly.
“The flight landed uneventfully and passengers and crew safely disembarked.”
The airline apologised to affected travellers, stressing that passenger and crew safety remained its highest priority.
“Emirates apologises for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised,” the spokesperson said.
Passengers were either sent home or provided with hotel accommodation while alternative travel arrangements were made.
They are expected to depart on another Emirates flight to Dubai at 10.35pm on Tuesday, almost 24 hours after their original departure.
“Flight EK441 is scheduled to depart again for Dubai at 22:35 local Adelaide time, and Emirates will accommodate passengers with onwards connections,” the airline said.