LONDON — British Airways flight BA295 made an emergency descent of 28,000 feet over Ireland on Monday due to a technical issue before returning safely to London Heathrow. The Boeing 777-200ER aircraft landed just after 5 p.m., ending a disruption that began shortly after the plane reached its cruising altitude.

The flight departed London Heathrow at approximately 12:14 p.m. on Monday, scheduled to travel to Chicago O'Hare Airport. Approximately one hour into the journey, the aircraft reached a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet. Passengers reported experiencing turbulence moments before oxygen masks were deployed in the cabin during the incident.

The pilots issued a 7700 emergency squawk to air traffic control as the aircraft descended 28,000 feet over Ireland. This rapid change in altitude occurred in seven minutes, bringing the plane to below 10,000 feet. Passenger Tom Nicholls stated the descent to 9,000 feet did not feel rapid.

"The plane adjusted but it didn’t feel like it was descending rapidly. I’d say the pilots did a very good job." Nicholls said. Following the initial descent, the aircraft entered a holding pattern over the Bristol Channel between Pembrokeshire and North Devon to burn off fuel. This procedure allows aircraft to reduce weight for a safe landing.

A British Airways spokesperson said the aircraft returned to Heathrow following a technical issue. "The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and the aircraft landed safely after our highly trained pilots returned to Heathrow following a technical issue. Customers disembarked the aircraft normally and our teams are working to get their travel plans back on track as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said. Many passengers were rebooked on flights departing on Tuesday.

Why It Matters

The aircraft involved in the incident, G-VIIA, is the oldest aircraft in British Airways' fleet, having been in service since July 1997, according to reports. British Airways operates 43 Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, with an average age of 26 years, according to reports. Records indicate that British Airways' oldest aircraft, G-VIIA, had previously undergone a major maintenance overhaul in 2022.

The Boeing 777-200ER model has been involved in documented cases of rapid descents or cabin depressurization events globally, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database. London Heathrow Airport has experienced multiple emergency landings in recent years, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

What's New

Additional reporting shows that British Airways has a history of technical issues on its Boeing 777 fleet, including a 2018 incident where a similar 777-200ER suffered an engine failure during takeoff from London Heathrow, leading to a diverted flight. The airline also has a documented history of technical issues on Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, including a 2018 incident where a similar model suffered an engine failure over the Atlantic, leading to an emergency landing in Gander, Canada.

In 2021, British Airways faced regulatory scrutiny from the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for repeated technical failures across its Boeing 777 fleet, which led to a series of emergency landings and flight cancellations. That same year, a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER flying from London to Los Angeles made an emergency landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport after experiencing a sudden loss of cabin pressure, similar to the scenario described in the BA295 incident.