Singapore Airlines plane forced to make emergency landing in Azerbaijan during flight from London

 
Emergency landing: Oxygen masks on board the Singapore Airlines flight from London
Robin de Peyer6 January 2014

A superjumbo jet was forced to make an emergency landing during a flight from London to Singapore after a dramatic loss of cabin pressure over Asia.

The Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 touched down in Azerbaijan, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded for up to 18 hours at the airport of the country's capital city, Baku.

None of the 467 passengers or 27 crew members on board the flight were injured, a spokesman for the airline confirmed.

"Oxygen masks were deployed and the aircraft landed uneventfully at Baku airport," he said.

"We sincerely apologise to affected customers for the inconvenience caused by the diversion and the lengthy delay encountered at the airport in Baku."

Airbus, the plane's manufacturer said it was providing technical assistance to the airline and "following up on the issue".

Angry passengers took to Singapore Airlines' Facebook page to express fury after being left stranded in Azerbaijan.

One, Terri Mann, wrote: "What is REALLY INTERESTING, is that being a passenger on this flight, that it is Facebook that I found this information out. There is very little information given to us here stuck at the airport..."

Mark Franklin added: "I'm on that flight .... We have had zero information from crew and only given water after 4 hours ...... No hotels as we do not have visas , we are laying on floors in the terminal and the aircraft wont be with us for 14 more hours."

But others praised the airline for ensuring passengers' safety was prioritised.

One passenger reported hearing a "loud air noise" from the door of the plane. Oxygen masks were then allegedly deployed "several hours later" and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing.

Singapore Airlines has since arranged for an alternative flight to take passengers to their destinations.

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