"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."
"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."
Flight 243 departed London Heathrow at 1:22 p.m. bound for Mexico City with an expected 11-hour journey. Five hours into the trip the Boeing 787 Dreamliner turned back over the Atlantic after passing Greenland, about 150 miles off Nunavut. The aircraft returned to Heathrow and landed just after 10 p.m., leaving passengers on board for more than nine hours. The airline attributed the diversion to an unspecified technical issue and apologized. Returning to the main hub simplified rebooking and maintenance logistics and avoided potential crew duty-time limits and operational disruptions that a diversion to a remote airport could cause.
Read at Business Insider
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