British Airways Airbus A320 Declares Emergency, Returns to Edinburgh Airport
Key Points
- 1British Airways flight BA1443, an Airbus A320, made an emergency return to Edinburgh Airport on December 8 due to a landing gear fault.
- 2Edinburgh Airport halted all operations following the incident, diverting multiple easyJet, Qatar Airways, and Ryanair flights.
- 3Emergency services responded with six fire appliances, ensuring all passengers were safely disembarked with no reported casualties.
- 4Normal airport operations resumed after the aircraft was towed and hydraulic fluid was cleared from the runway.
On Monday, December 8, British Airways flight BA1443, an Airbus A320 en route from Edinburgh to London Heathrow, declared a mid-air emergency shortly after departure. The flight activated the emergency squawk 7700 procedure and returned to Edinburgh Airport. British Airways confirmed a "technical issue" with the aircraft, which Edinburgh Airport later specified as a landing gear fault that resulted in hydraulic fluid on the runway.
The incident led to a complete halt of operations at Edinburgh Airport, causing significant disruption. Numerous inbound flights were diverted, including easyJet services to Glasgow and Prestwick, a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester, and Ryanair flights also rerouted to Glasgow and Prestwick. The aircraft remained immobilized on the sole runway, surrounded by emergency response vehicles.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service deployed six fire appliances, a heavy rescue unit, and a height appliance as a precautionary measure. Passengers were safely disembarked, and there were no casualties reported. After airport teams cleared the hydraulic fluid from the runway and the aircraft was towed to its stand, Edinburgh Airport resumed normal operations later the same day. British Airways apologized to affected customers for the disruption.
Topics
You Might Also Like
Discover more aviation news based on similar topics
British Airways Airbus A320 Circles Edinburgh Six Times Due to Landing Gear Issue
A British Airways Airbus A320 returned to Edinburgh Airport, circling six times before landing due to a reported wheel issue.
BA Flights Divert: Fuel Dumped Over Hebrides, Edinburgh Emergency Landing
British Airways faced two flight diversions this week due to technical issues, including a fuel dump over Scotland.
Air France Airbus A320 Engine Failure Forces Emergency Diversion to Lyon
Air France flight AF 7721 from Paris to Ajaccio experienced an engine failure, forcing the Airbus A320 crew to execute an emergency diversion to Lyon,
JetBlue A320 has near-miss with US Air Force aircraft; cockpit audio reveals
A JetBlue Airbus A320 had a near-miss with a US Air Force plane near Venezuela, prompting pilot outrage.
British Airways Boeing 787 Returns to Heathrow After 9-Hour Flight Due to
British Airways' Boeing 787 Dreamliner returned to London Heathrow after nine hours aloft due to a critical cockpit instrument failure.
Air India reveals systemic failures after flying Airbus A320 without permit
Air India's probe revealed systemic failures after an Airbus A320 flew eight commercial flights without a permit.
Never Miss Critical Aviation Updates
Get the top aviation stories delivered to your inbox every morning