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AirAsia X flight aborted after malfunction

AAP

AAP

The pilots of an AirAsia X flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, have aborted the flight and circled for hours to burn off fuel before landing safely in Malaysia.

AirAsia Group’s boss Tony Fernandes told AFP in a text message that it was a “minor issue”.

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“One auto thrust not functioning properly. Actually okay to fly but we just returning it to base,” Mr Fernandes said.

He confirmed the plane landed safely at Kuala Lumpur’s international airport late Sunday afternoon.

AirAsia X is a long-haul, budget airline based in Malaysia, and a sister company of AirAsia.

This comes less than two months after an AirAsia Airbus A320 plunged into the Java Sea, while en route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore, killing all 162 people on board.

It was reported that the captain of the AirAsia jet was out of his seat conducting an unorthodox procedure, when his co-pilot apparently lost control, two people familiar with the investigation say.

According to reports, the two sources said by the time the captain returned to the controls of flight QZ8501 it was too late to save the plane.

Indonesian rescuers continue to search for 86 victims still missing, with part of the jet still on the sea bed.

with AAP

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