SINGAPORE, Aug. 15 -- A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight operating one of the world's longest commercial routes was forced to abort its journey and return to Changi Airport shortly after take-off on Monday night.

Flight SQ22, a flagship direct service to Newark, New York, departed at 11.35pm on Aug 12 but was soon hampered by an unspecified technical issue, The Straits Times reported.

An SIA spokesperson confirmed the incident on Wednesday, noting that the Airbus A350-900 ultra-long-range aircraft touched back down in Singapore at 3.06am on Aug 13.

The route is a marathon of aviation, typically spanning over 18 hours and covering roughly 16,700km.

The technical fault required the aircraft to be towed to a remote parking bay for immedia...