Emirates A380 Returns to Heathrow After New Year’s Eve Landing Gear Issue

An Emirates Airbus A380 operating a flight from London Heathrow Airport to Dubai was forced to return to its departure airport on New Year’s Eve after suffering a technical malfunction shortly after take-off, resulting in the aircraft circling over south-east London for more than an hour.

The double-deck Airbus A380 departed Heathrow at 14:32 GMT, around 52 minutes behind schedule, with an initial arrival time in Dubai of 00:40 local time. Soon after becoming airborne, the flight crew identified a problem involving a landing gear door, which remained open during the aircraft’s initial climb.

Because the aircraft was still significantly above its Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) for a long-haul, seven-hour sector, the crew could not immediately return to land. To avoid excessive structural stress on the airframe, standard safety procedures required the aircraft to reduce weight by burning fuel before attempting an approach.

Air traffic control cleared the aircraft to enter a holding pattern, a racetrack-shaped route commonly used to keep aircraft safely circling within controlled airspace. The A380 flew repeated circuits at approximately 10,000 feet over Orpington, south-east London, for around 90 minutes while the engines consumed enough fuel to bring the aircraft within safe landing limits.

Once the aircraft’s weight had been reduced, the crew was cleared for approach. The A380 touched down safely at Heathrow at 16:28 GMT, roughly two hours after its initial departure. There were no reports of injuries, and the aircraft taxied to the terminal under its own power.

In a statement, an Emirates spokesperson said: “Emirates flight EK002 departed London Heathrow for Dubai on 31 December 2025 but returned to LHR shortly after take-off due to a technical fault. The flight landed back in LHR and passengers and crew were safely disembarked. All passengers will be rebooked on future Emirates flights from LHR. Emirates apologises for the inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised.”

The disruption left many passengers facing unexpected delays on one of the busiest travel days of the year, with some holiday plans affected and others potentially spending New Year’s Eve in airport hotels around Heathrow.

Travel commentator Simon Calder noted on social media that more than 500 passengers were on board the flight, adding that the aircraft “got no further than Kent before the pilots decided to turn back due to a landing gear problem.”

Incidents of this nature, while disruptive, are relatively rare and highlight the aviation industry’s emphasis on precautionary decision-making. Returning an aircraft to the departure airport after detecting a technical anomaly is standard practice, particularly on large, long-haul aircraft such as the A380, where weight management and system redundancy are critical to safe operations. 

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, dailymail.co.uk