British Airways passengers spent more than nine hours on a transatlantic flight that ended up back where it started.
Wednesday’s Flight 243 took off from London Heathrow Airport at 1:22 p.m. and was supposed to land in Mexico City around 11 hours later.
However, five hours into the journey, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner turned around over the Atlantic Ocean.
It had already passed Greenland and was only about 150 miles off the coast of Canada’s Nunavut territory, according to data from Flightradar24.
The plane then headed back across the ocean, arriving in London just after 10 p.m.
The airline said in a statement that the diversion was due to an unspecified technical issue.
“The flight landed safely and customers disembarked normally following reports of a technical issue with the aircraft. We’ve apologised to our customers for the delay, and our teams are working to get their journeys back on track,” the statement said.
It can be frustrating for passengers when they’re diverted to their origin — a so-called flight to nowhere — but often it’s the best course of action.
Returning to Heathrow, BA’s main hub, makes it easier for the airline to rebook passengers on alternative flights and fix any problems with the aircraft.
Diverting elsewhere might have also left the plane and crew out of place, disrupting the airline’s schedule. Plus, a stopover in Canada or the US may have caused the crew to reach their maximum working hours.
When BA Flight 243 turned around, its closest airport was Iqaluit in northern Canada, less than 300 miles away.
Some flights have diverted to this remote town in the past, but it can ultimately be more disruptive.
Last year, an Air France flight diverted to Iqaluit after a burning smell was detected in the cabin.
The pilots declared an emergency, and a different plane was rerouted to rescue the passengers. It was originally scheduled for another flight, so that had to be canceled. Passengers were then taken to New York, where they were rebooked onto other flights to reach their intended destination of Seattle.
Ultimately, it depends on how urgent the diversion is, since safety is the top concern.
However, if possible, returning to the flight’s origin can be the simplest option for both passengers and the airline.
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