BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- A system malfunction forced the pilots of an AirAsia X plane to abort a flight to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and return to Malaysia. CEO of the AirAsia Group Tony Fernandes confirmed that the Airbus A330, operated by one of the group's carriers, AirAsia X, encountered an auto-thrust system problem about 45 minutes after taking off.
Flight-tracking websites show that the plane flew several wide circles over the Malacca Strait to burn off fuel.
A statement later issued by AirAsia said: "As a safety precaution, and in full compliance with all international security and safety standards, the aircraft made a turn back and safely landed."
It also said the passengers onboard the plane were transferred to another aircraft, which took off later Sunday evening.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
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