A Saudia Airlines flight headed for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was forced to return to Manila early Thursday after encountering a technical problem mid-flight, according to aviation authorities.
Flight SVA871 took off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 11:52 p.m. on Wednesday night but was reported to be diverting back less than an hour into the journey. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) confirmed that its operations center received the alert at 12:51 a.m. from the Manila Area Control Center.
The plane landed safely at NAIA at 1:25 a.m., and no injuries were reported.
“CAAP is closely coordinating with the airline and concerned aviation authorities to ensure public safety and to maintain operational readiness at all times,” the agency said in an official advisory.
Further details, including the cause of the technical issue and the number of passengers onboard, have been requested by reporters but were not immediately provided.
