HK Express flight to Japan forced to return to Hong Kong due to technical issue

A Japan-bound Hong Kong Express plane carrying 230 passengers was forced to return to the airport a little more than an hour after take-off due to a technical issue. Flight UO850 departed from Hong Kong International Airport at about 7am Thursday and was expected to arrive at Osaka’s Kansai International Airport just before noon. But about half an hour after take-off, airport controllers received a request for an air return to Hong Kong and for local standby. This usually indicates a minor emergency involving the approach of a defective aircraft. Firefighters and ambulances are placed in a state of readiness. Live flight tracking on the website Flightradar showed the plane circling twice over the waters off Daya Bay before returning to Chek Lap Kok. The plane landed safely at about 8.20am, and “no airport operations were affected”, an Airport Authority spokeswoman said.<br/>