An Air China passenger jet reportedly flew in the wrong direction after taking off from the airport in Chengdu, Sichuan province, according to The Paper.cn.

The Air China plane bound for Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, took off from Chengdu airport on Sunday morning. However, it deviated off its course and had to be directed back on track by air traffic controllers, South China Morning Post reported citing The Paper.cn.

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The control tower of the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport allegedly instructed the plane to turn left after take-off, but apparently, the chief pilot did not understand the instruction and turned the aircraft to the right soon after it left the ground, the EJInsight noted citing a source with knowledge about the matter.

Upon realizing the mistake, the pilot of flight CA4401 immediately called the air traffic control center, which rescheduled the plane's route. The Paper.cn, however, failed to specify how long it took the pilot to realize the error made.

In response to the error committed, Air China has reportedly issued an internal emergency notice regarding flight safety after the unpublicized incident. It reportedly ordered all of its pilots and cabin crew to carry out their respective tasks and cross-check tower instructions in the future, the source said.

"The aircrew must always be aware of flight safety and avoid making mistakes on the route or when entering and departing from the airport," the airline said in a statement as quoted by The Paper.cn. "We must ensure safety as the year end approaches."

Flying off the wrong route could pose danger and could sometimes lead to accidents like crashing into mountains or colliding with another aircraft.

TagsFlight Safety, Air China, flight CA4401, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, flights, commercial flights