According to The Aviation Herald, passengers were informed by the crew that there was a hydraulic malfunction which could have affected the landing gear. As a result of the incident, flight SK-1469 was canceled. Maintenance cleared the aircraft for operations and it resumed service on August 18.
Hydraulic failures are rare but significant because they may affect several critical systems on modern airliners. These issues can arise from fluid leaks or pump faults and require crews to follow checklists and sometimes return or divert flights for safety reasons.
The Airbus A320 family is equipped with three independent hydraulic systems—green, yellow, and blue—that power essential components including landing gear and brakes. Redundancy is built into these systems so that if one fails, others can maintain operation; however, failure of the green system is more serious since it controls the landing gear.
There have been other diversions related to hydraulic issues in 2025. In March, a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000 returned to London Heathrow after declaring an emergency caused by hydraulic failure while en route to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/virgin-atlantic-a350-emergency-heathrow). In April, JetBlue flight 861 from Boston to San Juan also returned shortly after departure due to hydraulic problems affecting its landing gear (https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/jetblue-a321-returns-to-boston-after-hydraulic-failure/153207.article). In May, American Airlines flight 1884 diverted from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Nashville following reports of hydraulic issues at cruising altitude (https://aviationsourcenews.com/news/american-airlines-flight-diverts-to-nashville-due-to-hydraulic-issue/).
Another JetBlue service experienced suspected hydraulic trouble in June when flight B61177 from Boston diverted to Denver; passengers continued their journey later on another aircraft (https://simpleflying.com/jetblue-boston-las-vegas-diversion-denver-june-2025/).
“Hydraulic failures on modern airliners are uncommon but taken seriously, as they can quickly affect critical flight systems. Such issues are usually triggered by fluid leaks, pump faults, or valve problems. When this happens, crews follow established checklists, hold if necessary to troubleshoot, and return or divert to ensure a safe landing,” according to information provided in the report.
“In this case, the crew told passengers that the malfunction could have affected the landing gear, which is one of the primary concerns in such events,” it added.
Generally speaking: “According to Airbus, A320 family aircraft are fitted with three independent hydraulic systems: green, yellow and blue... Each system draws power from engine-driven pumps... These systems are built with redundancy so that if one fails... Problems with the green system... are more critical since it controls the landing gear.”
The Scandinavian Airlines incident follows several similar cases this year where airlines prioritized safety through returns or diversions when faced with possible loss of key onboard functions due to hydraulic malfunctions.
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