British Airways flight to Sao Paulo is forced to return to London while over the Atlantic after taking off from Heathrow
- The plane left Heathrow Airport at 3.49pm yesterday but returned at 12.26am
- BA247 flight had spent eight hours in the air before turning around over Atlantic
- It is not yet clear what prompted the return to its original destination
A British Airways flight to Sao Paulo was forced to return to London while over the Atlantic.
The plane left Heathrow at 3.49pm yesterday but landed back at the airport at 12.26am after more than eight hours in the air.
It had been intended for the Governador Andre Franco Montoro International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
A British Airways flight to Sao Paulo was forced to return to London while over the Atlantic (stock image)
It is thought that the BA247 flight was a freighter service and experienced a technical issue.
Pilots then made the decision to turn around and return to Heathrow.
A spokesman for British Airways has since confirmed to MailOnline: ‘Safety is always our priority, and after an indication of a minor technical issue our experienced pilots made the decision to return the freighter service to Heathrow as a precaution.’
A spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport declined to comment on the incident.
The plane left Heathrow at 3.49pm yesterday but landed back at the London airport at 12.26am after more than eight hours in the air