BA faces huge bill after flight forced to return to Heathrow
British Airways faces a massive compensation bill after a 747 flight to Hong Kong with nearly 300 passengers on board was forced to return to Heathrow last night when pilots were unable to retract the landing gear.
The 298 passengers onboard flight BA0025 were offered overnight accommodation by BA and the flight, which had originally left Heathrow at 18:20 yesterday, was rescheduled for today.
A BA spokesman apologised to passengers for the delay and said the cause of the fault had not been established, but if it is found to have been a technical fault for which the airline was responsible passengers could claim a total of €178,800 in compensation.
A spokesman for air traffic company NATS told the BBC that the flight crew relayed the plane had a problem retracting its undercarriage and time was spent in the air to make sure the aircraft was a safe weight for landing.
He said such redirections were "not uncommon".
BA said the plane had landed safely, passengers disembarked as normal, and they were given accommodation and refreshments.
The airline did not comment on the possible compensation pay-out but it asked customers to contact it directly to submit a claim.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia