China Airlines flight to Bali returns to Taiwan due to 'system problems'

Taoyuan, Aug. 19 (CNA) A China Airlines flight to Bali was diverted back to Taiwan on Monday due to "system problems" halfway through its journey, the Taiwanese carrier said.

The carrier said in a statement released Monday afternoon that the crew on flight CI771 from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Denpasar on the island of Bali in Indonesia followed safety protocols and that the Airbus A300-300 was flown back to Taiwan after the plane's system signaled problems.

The carrier said the plane safely landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would undergo further checks. No additional information on the "system problems" was given.

Passengers on the 20-year-old jet were offered food and food vouchers at the airport, before they boarded another A330-300 at 4:24 p.m. and resumed their journey to Bali, the carrier said. It did not disclose the number of passengers impacted.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that flight CI771 departed Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport around its scheduled time of 9:10 a.m. on Monday.

The plane was turned back over the Sula Sea near Palawan Island in the southern part of the Philippines just over two hours into the 5.5-hour journey, the information on the flight tracking website showed.

The carrier's website shows the flight is expected to arrive at Denpasar just after 9:30 p.m. There is no time difference between Taiwan and Bali.