Flight delays are undeniably inconvenient, but we often hear stories from those waiting at the airport, not from passengers already on board the aircraft. One of the main causes of delays is adverse weather, as pilots must carefully navigate storms to ensure a safe landing at the destination.
What was meant to be a 50-minute journey turned into a four-hour flight when AirAsia flight AK6047, travelling from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur, was caught in a thunderstorm that prevented the plane from landing on the runway. Transport Minister Anthony Loke was one of the passengers onboard, and he recently shared his experience during the flight and how well the crew pulled through this challenge.
Yesterday (Sunday, 8th June), Anthony Loke shared a Facebook post about his recent flight back to Kuala Lumpur, describing how a 50-minute journey turned into a four-hour ordeal due to severe weather conditions. According to the politician, the flight was smooth at first until it was time to descend. As the aircraft approached the runway, strong crosswinds and a gusty storm forced the pilot to abort the landing and circle the KLIA airspace.
“Unexpected weather conditions are one of the biggest challenges in airline operations. I was later informed that at least five AirAsia flights were diverted, and likely many others as well. As a result, Captain Teng Huah Jer made the decision to divert to Penang for refuelling before returning to KLIA once the weather improved for a safe landing,” he wrote.
The Transport Minister praised the captain for remaining calm and keeping passengers informed throughout the ordeal. He also commended the cabin crew for handling the situation with composure and ensuring that passengers were well taken care of during the unexpectedly long flight. “We landed safely at KLIA at 2:40 am, almost 4 hours after the plane took off from Senai! As a sign of moral support and appreciation to the crew, I waited for all passengers to disembark before leaving the aircraft,” he added.
One can only imagine how anxious the passengers must have felt during the flight, but thankfully, everything ended well. A job well done to AirAsia and the crew! Read the full story below:
Source: Facebook
