Edelweiss flight WK34 from Zurich to Punta Cana returned to its departure airport on 17 October after the centre landing gear on Airbus A340-313 HB-JMC failed to retract. The fully fuelled aircraft dumped fuel before landing at Zurich at about 15:00, allowing technicians to inspect and repair it. The same aircraft departed again at 17:10, leaving 297 passengers with a delay of approximately three hours and 40 minutes.
The centre gear is an additional landing-gear assembly positioned beneath the middle of the A340. Edelweiss spokesperson Andreas Marti identified the failure as the reason for the precautionary return. Because the aircraft remained too heavy for an immediate landing after the long-haul departure, fuel was released during the flight to reduce its landing weight.
Technicians replaced the defective part after the aircraft returned to Zurich. No injuries or danger to passengers were reported in available coverage, and the flight subsequently continued to the Dominican Republic. The incident caused an operational interruption but did not result in the aircraft being withdrawn from the service that day. HB-JMC, an A340-313, is scheduled to remain in Edelweiss service only until January 2027.