Get you up to speed: British Airways flight returns to London after dropping more than 27,000ft in minutes | News UK
A British Airways flight from Heathrow to Chicago was forced to return after experiencing a technical glitch shortly after takeoff. The Boeing 777 declared a general emergency and landed safely back at Heathrow shortly after 4pm.
The incident has prompted British Airways to review the technical issues that led to the emergency declaration. The Boeing 777, one of the oldest in the airline’s fleet, has been in service for 30 years.
British Airways stated, “Customers disembarked the aircraft normally and our teams are working to get their travel plans back on track as quickly as possible.” The Boeing 777 involved, one of the oldest in BA’s fleet, highlights concerns about the aircraft’s age and safety, prompting discussions regarding potential fleet upgrades.
What remains unclear — The specific technical issue that prompted the emergency and return to Heathrow has not been disclosed.
British Airways flight returns to Heathrow after rapid altitude drop
A British Airways flight from Heathrow was forced to return after hours in the air following a technical glitch.
Passengers on board the BA295 flight from London Heathrow to Chicago were left confused following a sudden U-turn.
The Boeing 777 took off from the UK’s busiest airport at about 12.15pm yesterday and headed towards Ireland ahead of the Atlantic crossing.
But less than an hour in the air, as the aircraft had reached 36,000ft, it suffered an issue.
Within minutes, the jet dropped to 9,000ft before turning around to the UK coast as it declared a general emergency, tracking website Flightradar24 shows.
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The plane then criss-crossed above the Bristol Channel for a couple of hours, believed to be to lighten the fuel weight before attempting to land.
The flight touched down at Heathrow shortly after 4pm.
British Airways said in a statement: ‘The aircraft landed safely after our highly trained pilots returned to Heathrow following a technical issue.
‘Customers disembarked the aircraft normally and our teams are working to get their travel plans back on track as quickly as possible.’
The Boeing 777 plane involved entered service 30 years ago, aircraft registration data shows.
It is thought to be one of the oldest in BA’s fleet of almost 300 aircraft.
Aviation enthusiasts commented on the incident on social media, with many saying they spotted the plane flying low in real time.
One commentator said on X: ‘Just flown VERY LOW over head going into Bristol Channel.’
Another person said: ‘Must be so much fun to sit on a plane for 5 hours only to return back to where you began.’