TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A China Airlines flight on its way from Taiwan to Thailand had to make an extra landing in Hong Kong because of a warning light, reports said Saturday.
Flight CI851 for Chiang Mai took off from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 7:26 a.m. However, almost two hours into its flight, a warning light flashed in the cockpit, per CNA.
While no problem was immediately discovered, the pilot decided to interrupt the flight according to safety procedures and land in Hong Kong as a precaution. During a check of the plane, China Airlines sent another aircraft to pick up the passengers and take them on the rest of their journey to Thailand.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport experienced heavy rainstorms Saturday morning. The weather interrupted the removal of luggage from arriving flights for about an hour, per UDN.
Several flights from Southeast Asia were diverted to Taichung or Kaohsiung, while flights from China landed at Wenzhou in the province of Zhejiang to wait before continuing their journey to Taiwan. One flight from Macau returned to its home base without landing in Taiwan.
As the storms moved south, Taichung Airport suspended ground operations at 11:56 a.m., per UDN. The Civil Aviation Administration called on the airport and the airlines to use online notices and intercom systems to inform passengers of possible delays.