- Flight BA2660 turned back about an hour after departing Gatwick for Faro.
- Flight-tracking sources reported a cracked passenger window and an emergency code.
- British Airways confirmed a minor technical issue and said passengers would resume their journey.
A British Airways flight bound for Portugal returned to London Gatwick on Tuesday after reports of a cracked passenger window prompted the aircraft to turn back over north-western France.
Flight BA2660, an Airbus A321 travelling to Faro in the Algarve, departed Gatwick at 9.06am and reversed course roughly an hour into the journey, according to flight-tracking data. The flight was expected to take around two hours.
AirNav Radar, a flight-data provider, reported on X that a passenger window was cracked and the flight deck was carrying out checks before deciding where to divert. Aviation outlet AirLive separately reported possible structural damage to a window panel on the right side of the aircraft near row 3R.
The aircraft reportedly transmitted squawk 7700, a code used to signal a general emergency. Flight-tracking data showed it making a U-turn after passing Brittany in France before returning to Gatwick.
British Airways did not confirm the reported window damage but said the aircraft had returned because of a minor technical issue.
“The aircraft diverted following a minor technical issue and landed safely back at London Gatwick,” an airline spokesperson said.
“We have apologised to customers for the delay to their journey, and our teams are working hard to get their travel plans back on track.”
The airline said passengers were due to resume their journey. Emergency ground crews met the aircraft after it landed, according to reports.
What happened to the British Airways flight?
The reported window issue was identified while the aircraft was en route to Faro. The flight crew carried out checks before turning back, with the aircraft landing safely at Gatwick.
A squawk 7700 alert indicates a general emergency but does not, on its own, establish the cause or severity of a problem. British Airways described the issue as minor and did not publicly confirm the reports of a cracked window.
The incident comes amid other reports of aircraft returning to their departure airports after technical problems. Last month, a United Airlines flight operated by Mesa Airlines returned to Houston after the first officer’s windshield shattered shortly after takeoff.
The Embraer E175 had been heading to El Paso, Texas. A Mesa Airlines spokesperson told CNN that there had been no depressurisation and that standard procedure in such circumstances was to return to the airport.
In a separate incident reported in August, a passenger on a Ryanair flight, Serbian national Ljubisa Karović, suffered serious injuries after his head and right shoulder were reportedly pulled through a damaged window. Ryanair said the window may have been damaged by a foreign object.
The circumstances of those incidents differ, and there is no indication that they are connected to the British Airways flight. BA2660 landed safely, and the airline’s public statement did not identify the reported window damage as the confirmed cause of its return.
