A Swiss International Air Lines Boeing 777-300ER with 319 passengers and 18 crew had to change course on Saturday due to a medical emergency which resulted in a further 20 hour delay.
Flight LX161 from Tokyo to Zurich Zurich landed normally and offloaded the unwell passenger but it ran off the pavement and was stuck in muddy grass soon after whilst trying to take off again.
“The landing was uneventful,” Swiss said on 17 August. “As the taxiway at Astana airport was closed, the crew had to turn the aircraft 180 degrees on the runway. The aircraft’s nose wheel got caught in the grass and got stuck [and]… had to be towed back onto the runway.”
Once the Boeing 777 was eventually towed back onto the runway, the airline began exploring options to continue the passengers' journey. With limited rebooking options available in Astana, the airline considered sending a replacement aircraft and crew from Zurich.
In the end, Austrian Airlines, a sister company within the Lufthansa group, stepped in to assist. An Austrian Boeing 777 flew from Vienna to Astana on Saturday night and returned the following day, 20 hours after the original plane had landed. The Swiss spokesperson confirmed that there were 331 passengers on board.
Swiss International Air Lines later sent another 777 to transport the passengers from Vienna to Zurich, covering the remaining 370 miles.
"We extend our gratitude to all our passengers for their understanding and patience in this exceptional and unforeseen situation," the airline stated. "We apologize for any inconvenience caused and sincerely thank all the employees involved for their tireless and outstanding efforts."
The incident had knock-on effects for Swiss’s international network. The carrier cancelled flights to and from Los Angeles on 18 August, as no further reserve aircraft was available after the 777 departed for Vienna. Its flight to Bangkok was delayed by “several hours” and a flight to Sao Paulo postponed from Monday to Tuesday.
“Further delays or cancellations will depend on the return of the Boeing 777 from Astana and its operational capability,” the company adds. “Swiss is continuing to focus all available resources on minimising the impact on flight operations and thus on its passengers.”
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