Oman Air Boeing returns due to flap issue; investigation underway

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Oman Air Boeing returns due to flap issue; investigation underway

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Oman Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 | Oman Air Website

By Sky Industry News

Jun 8, 2025

On May 31, an Oman Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating flight WY-815 to Bangkok returned to Muscat shortly after take-off due to a flap-related issue. The incident was reported by The Aviation Herald. The crew decided to return after experiencing the problem, and the aircraft landed safely back in Muscat.

Oman's Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, the aircraft involved remains grounded. A replacement aircraft completed the journey with a delay of several hours.

Flight WY-815 is a daily service between Muscat International Airport and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, usually departing at 08:40. On May 31, it departed later than usual at 09:22 from runway 26L. Shortly after take-off, the crew reported a flap-related issue and maintained reduced airspeed below 290 knots over ground, stopping their climb at 12,000 feet. About ten minutes into the flight, they entered a holding pattern to burn fuel before landing safely on runway 26R at approximately 12:47.

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The airline stated to the Times of Oman: "[The flight] experienced a technical issue shortly after take-off and in accordance with safety and operational protocols, had to return to Muscat International Airport...Our guests were disembarked and taken back to the terminal. All guests were accommodated on a replacement flight shortly after."

Following this event, Oman Air arranged for another Boeing 737 MAX 8 as a substitute for the Bangkok-bound flight. This replacement departed Muscat at 14:35 and arrived in Bangkok at 23:34, resulting in nearly six hours of delay.

The disruption also affected the return leg of flight WY-816 from Bangkok to Muscat. It normally departs at 19:10 but was delayed until early June 1st morning due to these issues.

Flap-related problems can occur due to electrical faults or mechanical failures within the flap drive system. Such issues can impact climb performance and approach speeds, prompting crews often to adjust profiles or return as precautions.

There have been other recent incidents involving flap malfunctions across various airlines globally.