Overview
- British Airways flight BA1443 to London Heathrow returned to Edinburgh shortly after takeoff after pilots reported a technical issue and declared a 7700 emergency.
- Flight-tracking data showed the Airbus A320 circling near Stirling at about 6,500 feet, with reports indicating the landing gear appeared stuck down, which the airline has not confirmed.
- The jet landed safely and remained on the runway as passengers were taken to the terminal by coach and the aircraft was inspected and towed to a stand.
- Edinburgh Airport suspended arrivals and departures for roughly 40 minutes before resuming service, causing multiple diversions to other airports.
- Diversions included flights rerouting to Glasgow and Newcastle, a KLM service returning to Amsterdam, and a Qatar Airways flight landing in Manchester, and British Airways apologized for the disruption.