British Airways Boeing 777 on Transatlantic Flight Returns to Gatwick due to ‘Cracked Windscreen

A British Airways flight travelling over the Atlantic returned to London-Gatwick Airport (LGW), reportedly due to a crack developing in the windscreen.

The Boeing 777-200ER left for Orlando Airport (MCO) at 11:09 am local time on Monday, August 21, 2023, but after only a few hours, the aircraft was forced to take a U-turn.

The aircraft, registered G-VIIU, was due to arrive in the United States (US) at 3:00 pm, but after four and a half hours of flying, the plane landed back at Gatwick instead.

Passengers aboard the 24-year-old jet disembarked and the aircraft was taken away to be inspected.

After an overnight stay at LGW, G-VIIU flew to Vieux Fort Hewanorra Airport (UVF) in St Luicia.

“Our pilots returned to London Gatwick as a precaution due to a minor technical issue, and the aircraft landed normally. We’ve apologised to customers for the disruption to their journey and our teams are working hard to get them on their way as soon as possible,” British Airways said in a statement.

The cause of the cracked windscreen has not yet been disclosed. Details regarding the incident were first reported by @FlightEmergency.