BA apology after Sydney-London flight diverted
British Airways has apologised to 354 passengers on a flight from Sydney to London on Saturday who were diverted to Kazakhstan after a fire alert on board.
The warning turned out to be a false alarm but the Boeing 747 aircraft was then unable to take off again because it was too heavy for the runway at the regional airport of Uralsk.
“This particular airport is not designed for use by such an aircraft,” said a BA spokeswoman.
Three smaller aircraft were despatched to take the passengers to London, with passengers delayed by up to 12 hours.
The problems were exacerbated because there were no steps high enough at the airport so passengers had difficulty disembarking.
“We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience, but safety and security will not be compromised,” the spokeswoman added.
Report by Bev Fearis
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025