Miami-Bound British Airways A380 U-Turns Near Greenland and Returns to London

A British Airways A380 bound for Miami has conducted a U-turn near Greenland before returning to London with reported technical issues.

A British Airways Airbus A380 operating a scheduled long-haul flight from London to Miami has made a return to London Heathrow Airport earlier this evening.

Flight BA209 out of London had conducted a U-turn as it passed near Greenland before making a return to the origin airport. Whilst a formal emergency was not declared, the aircraft reportedly experienced technical issues prompting a return.

British Airways BA209 London-Miami

British Airways flight BA209, operated by an Airbus A380-800, had conducted a departure from London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The aircraft was carrying out a scheduled service to Miami international Airport (MIA).

Approximately three hours into the long-haul flight, the aircraft conducted a turnaround whilst in cruising flight near Greenland. A direct return to London Heathrow was then initiated.

The flight subsequently landed at London Heathrow at 22:38 local time this evening.

Flight Details

Flight data shows that flight BA209 had made a departure out of London Heathrow at 1604 local time this afternoon. Scheduled departure time for the service was listed as 1530 local time.

Following departure, the flight had set course normally for Miami, climbing to flight level FL370 for the transatlantic service. The aircraft was in cruising flight passing Greenland on flight plan track when the return was initiated.

The nature of the technical problem prompting the return has not been disclosed as yet.

The aircraft conducting today’s BA209 rotation to Miami International Airport was an Airbus A380-800, registered G-XLEF. This is a 10.9 year old wide-body aircraft belonging to the national carrier British Airways. It has been in operational service with the airline since its initial delivery from the factory in May 2014.

British Airways has been experiencing technical issues with their A380 fleet, particularly since they returned to service in 2021. These issues have led to a significant number of cancellations and delays, affecting various routes.

Several A380 aircraft have experienced various technical faults in more recent times. This has included issues with the satellite communication system and hydraulic systems.

Update 01:45UTC: Engine Shutdown

Update via Flight Emergency @FlightEmergency: British Airways flight BA209 returned to London Heathrow yesterday evening after shutting down one engine in flight.