ZURICH — An Edelweiss Air flight bound for the Dominican Republic was forced to turn back and make an emergency landing at Zurich Airport (ZRH) following a technical issue shortly after departure.
The flight, operated by an Airbus A340-300 with registration HB-JMC, was performing long-haul service as Flight WK34 from Zurich to Punta Cana. Shortly after taking off, the flight crew received a cockpit warning alarm indicating a “Landing Gear Doors Not Closed” condition.
Tactical Fuel Burn and Procedure
Due to the heavy fuel load carried for the transatlantic crossing, the aircraft exceeded its maximum landing weight. To safely reduce weight and avoid a overweight landing, the flight crew initiated a holding pattern shortly after departure.
- Low-Altitude Holding: The aircraft circled at 8,000 feet for approximately 20 minutes to burn off excess fuel.
- Checklist Execution: Following the initial hold, the flight climbed to 22,000 feet, providing the pilots sufficient altitude and time to thoroughly complete the appropriate non-normal checklists.
- Return Approach: Once the procedures were completed and landing parameters met, the crew initiated their descent and set up the approach back to Zurich.
Safe Touchdown
The aircraft made a safe landing on Runway 34 at Zurich Airport approximately 90 minutes after its initial departure. Emergency services met the aircraft as a standard precautionary measure, and no injuries were reported among the passengers or crew.
Edelweiss Air has not yet announced when the aircraft will return to service or when passengers will be rebooked on subsequent flights to Punta Cana.
