A Virgin Atlantic plane took passengers on an 8-hour trip only to land less than 200 miles away in the same country.
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Per a report by UniLad, A Virgin Atlantic flight departed from London Heathrow en route to JFK in New York on Thursday, March 6. However, after making a U-turn over the Atlantic Ocean, the VS3 flight ended up in Manchester, UK.
According to Aviation Direct, the plane took off from Heathrow at 8:55 AM as scheduled. It made a 'significant U-turn' several hours into the flight, landing in Manchester at around 5 PM. Witnesses reportedly noticed the landing gears were open when the plane arrived, which could point to a hydraulics issue.
The pilots broadcast the emergency code 7700, prompting a response in Manchester involving Emergency Services. Per Business Insider, a spokesperson for Manchester Airport explained the response was 'protocol' and 'very much precautionary' in this instance.
Why Did The Plane Come Back To The UK?
Considering the Virgin Atlantic flight was well underway when pilots reported the issue, it seems strange that the plane returned to the UK. However, according to Business Insider, repairing planes and organizing passengers at a 'hub' airport is usually easier. Manchester is Virgin Atlantic's secondary hub. The airline's primary hub is also in the UK, at Heathrow. The outlet also notes that the flight requested to land at Heathrow, although it was denied for unknown reasons.
Virgin Atlantic offered weary passengers overnight accommodation nearby, with alternative flights scheduled for Friday. A spokesperson for the airline said, "The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and our teams are working hard to ensure our customers can continue on their journey as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for the delay and any inconvenience caused."
Passengers were no doubt peeved by the situation, but at least they could still use the restroom on the journey. Just last week, an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi also made a U-turn mid-air. The Boeing 777-300ER had 12 toilets on board, and 11 of them managed to get clogged on the journey. This left a single toilet in business class to serve a flight of 300 passengers, prompting a 4-and-a-half-hour return flight to Chicago.
Considering the journey could take upwards of 15 hours, perhaps it was the right call.
