China Eastern flight returns to city due to mechanical failure
A video widely spread on Weibo shows that a China Eastern Airlines plane is releasing some fuel while returning to Shanghai.
A China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai to London returned two hours after takeoff on Saturday morning due to mechanical failure, according to a video widely spread online.
The video, seemingly taken by a passenger on board, showed that the plane released some fuel during its landing period. And the in-flight announcement stated the return was due to mechanical failure.
The flight, numbered MU533, left Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 9:05am Beijing time, and was due to arrive at London Heathrow Airport at 13:30 pm local time, according to information released on China Eastern's official WeChat account.
It landed at Pudong Airport at 11:43 am, according the China Eastern's online consumer service system. It also shows that the aircraft is currently under maintenance.
China Eastern's online consumer service system shows the plane returned about two hours after takeoff.
A customer service staffer told Southern Metropolis Daily that another aircraft was put into use. The new flight has taken off and is expected to arrive in London at 6:34pm local time, shows the system.
The specific reason for the return has not been released at present.
Meanwhile, a similar situation occurred six days ago. Another China Eastern flight made an emergency landing at Xiamen, China's southeast Fujian Province, when operating between Shanghai and Hong Kong, due to fault information.
The flight is expected to arrive in London at 6:34pm local time.
