Photo for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Following a technical issue on Tuesday, an Etihad Airways flight to Madrid was forced to return to Abu Dhabi. EY075 was approaching Doha when the crew "squawked" 7700 on the radio, signifying a general emergency, and returned to the UAE capital shortly after takeoff at 3:10 am GST. Tracking site Flight Radar24 reported that the Dreamliner had rapidly dropped to 10,000 feet, but no further information was provided. The aircraft was able to land safely in Abu Dhabi, and the passengers returned to the terminal. Sudden altitude drops are uncommon in aviation. In the event of cabin depressurization, the flight crew is trained to descend immediately to an altitude where it is possible to breathe without additional oxygen, often around 10,000 feet, and as long as the surrounding terrain allows. According to Etihad, passengers will continue their trip to Madrid on another plane on Tuesday morning. BKM/ Expat Media
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