Due to a small technical fault, a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from the Indian city of Chennai to Riyadh was slightly delayed, Waleed Al-Aloomy, Assistant Director General of Public Relations in the airlines, said Monday. The 777 Boeing aircraft arrived at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh safely, he added. “The plane had a small technical fault. As a result it was late in arriving in the Kingdom,” he said. He categorically denied news reports that the Saudia plane had an engine fire moments after it took off from Chennai International Airport in southern India on a flight to Riyadh. The plane's captain suspected before take off that there was smoke coming from a tire, the flight was briefly delayed to ensure that there was no problem and a thorough inspection found no smoke or fire coming from the plane, Al-Aloomy said. In another development, Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines Engineer Khaled Al-Milhim, issued Monday a package of administrative decisions reshuffling several Saudia senior officials in Al-Qassim, Najran, Jizan and Bisha. The decision is part of the airlines' plan that stipulates the transfer of the Saudia station directors every four years, said Abdullah Al-Ajhar, Saudia's assistant director of public relations in Saudia. He added that the moves, part of a procedure that also replaces people who are retiring, were not made because of shortcomings in the officials' performance. – with input from Abdul Aziz Ghazzawi
