Passengers on a current transatlantic British Airways flight had a moderately eventful journey. The flight made a u-turn over the Atlantic, after one of many pilots grew to become incapacitated.
British Airways 777 diverts to St. John’s Canada
This incident occurred on Thursday, March 14, 2024, and includes British Airways flight BA2272 from New York (JFK) to London (LGW). The flight was operated by a 25-year-old Boeing 777-200ER with the license plate G-VIIP.
The flight took off from New York at 9:54PM native time, to start out the fast in a single day transatlantic crossing. The 777 reached its cruising altitude of 40,000 toes, and the primary three hours of the flight have been routine, because the airplane made its means northeast over the Atlantic.
Nonetheless, at that time one of many two pilots onboard reportedly grew to become incapacitated. The remaining pilot declared an emergency, and requested to divert to St. John’s, Canada (YYT), which required backtracking round 500 miles.
From the time that the plane circled, it was a roughly 80-minute journey to St. John’s, the place the plane touched down on runway 29 at round 3:30AM native time, simply over 4 hours after it had departed.
Emergency companies have been standing by in order that the incapacitated pilot might be taken care of. I haven’t seen any replace as to that pilot’s situation, however hopefully s/he’s okay. Additionally, kudos to the pilot flying for dealing with a nerve-racking state of affairs with ease, as I’ve to think about that wasn’t a enjoyable expertise.
Beneath you may hear a part of the air site visitors management audio of the diversion.
British Airways’ spectacular rescue effort
Typically when you’ve gotten a medical emergency, you may simply drop a passenger off, after which proceed the journey to the meant vacation spot. After all it’s a special story when the individual with the medical emergency is likely one of the individuals flying the airplane.
Touchdown in St. John’s in the course of the night time (a station not ordinarily served by British Airways) with tons of of individuals is a logistical nightmare. So with that in thoughts, I’ve to provide British Airways credit score for a really spectacular effort to reduce the inconvenience for passengers.
How did British Airways deal with this case? British Airways has a daytime flight from Newark (EWR) to London (LHR), BA180, scheduled to depart at 8:55AM. On March 15, 2024, British Airways determined to cancel that flight, and as an alternative flew the plane to St. John’s to choose up stranded passengers.
A 23-year-old Boeing 777-200ER with the license plate G-YMMJ flew from Newark to St. John’s with the flight quantity BA9156, in a flight time of 2hr15min. It landed there at 1:07PM native time. Then it loaded up passengers, and at 4:18PM the airplane took off for London Heathrow, the place it landed at 11:10PM on Friday, March 15, 2024, after a flight time of 4hr21min.
All issues thought-about, I’d say that’s about as effectively as you would rescue passengers in a state of affairs like this, so credit score goes to British Airways’ operations crew for that.
So, what occurred to the unique 777? That first 777 ended up staying on the bottom in St. John’s for a complete of slightly below 36 hours. The airplane was then ferried again to London Gatwick empty, as flight BA9608. That flight took 4hr18min, and landed in London simply earlier than 10PM on Saturday, March 16, 2024.
Backside line
A British Airways Boeing 777 flying from New York to London had a really sophisticated transatlantic flight, after a pilot grew to become incapacitated. The plane diverted to St. John’s, the place the pilot acquired medical consideration, and hopefully s/he’s okay.
I’m impressed by how shortly British Airways managed to choose up stranded passengers — the airline canceled a Newark to London flight in order that the plane may as an alternative return to London through St. John’s, selecting up stranded passengers.
What do you make of this British Airways diversion?
