Overview
- Flight AC853, which left Heathrow on Saturday for Toronto, turned back shortly after reaching 34,000 ft when the crew declared an emergency.
- Pilots transmitted a Squawk 7700 code, the transponder signal that tells controllers the aircraft needs priority handling during a full emergency.
- The Boeing 777-300ER touched down on Heathrow’s runway 27L at about 10:02 BST, with emergency teams on standby and landings on the south runway briefly paused.
- No injuries were reported, and passengers were escorted to the terminal while Air Canada arranged a replacement departure later in the morning.
- Air Canada has not disclosed the issue, the aircraft was identified as C-FITL, and authorities expect a routine incident review.