Madrid-bound Etihad plane forced to return to Abu Dhabi after technical issue

Tracking sites show rapid descent back to UAE capital

Etihad Airways is the national carrier of the UAE.

An Etihad Airways flight to Madrid had to return to Abu Dhabi after a technical problem on Tuesday.

EY075 was near Doha when its crew “squawked” 7700 on the radio — indicating a general emergency — and returned to the UAE capital shortly after take-off at 3.10am GST.

Tracking site Flight Radar24 showed the Dreamliner had rapidly descended to 10,000 feet but no more details were given.

“Etihad Airways flight EY075 from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Madrid (MAD) on November 1 returned to Abu Dhabi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue,” Etihad told The National.

“The aircraft performed a normal landing at Abu Dhabi and guests returned to the terminal.”

Sudden drops in altitude are not common in aviation.

In the case of cabin depressurisation, flight crew are trained to descend immediately to an altitude where it is possible to breathe without additional oxygen, often around 10,000 feet, and as long as surrounding terrain allows.

A screenshot from flightradar24 shows flight EY076's speed and altitude before returning to Abu Dhabi airport. Photo: flightradar24

Etihad said that passengers will continue their journey to Madrid on Tuesday morning on a different aircraft.

Flight tracking data shows that the flight departed again at 9.03am GST and was expected to land in Madrid at 1.53pm.

Etihad's new A350 jet: in pictures

• 

  Etihad's Sustainble50 lands in New York, marking the launch of A350 flights from Abu Dhabi to the US. All photos: Etihad Airways

• 

  The Sustainable50 is the first of five A350s destined for the Abu Dhabi airline.

• 

  The ultra-efficient jet is part of the airline industry's programme working to reduce carbon emissions and make flying more sustainable.

• 

  Etihad's new A350-100 has a dynamic LED lighting system with more than 16 million colours.

• 

  Etihad's new business class cabin on the new A350-1000.

• 

  Etihad's A350 has winglet-type devices to reduce aerodynamic drag.

• 

  'The National' was onboard Etihad's inaugural A350-1000 flight to Paris.

• 

  The aircraft has a custom livery that pays tribute to the UAE's golden jubilee and Etihad's commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.