A British Airways flight made an emergency landing due to four passengers experiencing “smoke inhalation.” The Airbus A320 was en route from Istanbul to London when it had to divert its course. Requesting a landing at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport, the BA603 flight with 142 passengers touched down at 6:14 pm local time. Medical teams promptly attended to the four affected passengers.
Following the landing, Romania’s Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of smoke on board, leading to the evacuation of all passengers. Although four individuals showed signs of smoke exposure, they received on-site medical assistance and did not require further care according to the ministry.
British Airways emphasized the safety of customers and crew as a top priority, attributing the diversion to a suspected technical issue. The airline expressed regret for any travel disruptions and assured that efforts were underway to resume the passengers’ journeys promptly.
Contrary to reports of smoke onboard, British Airways stated no such incidents or hospitalizations were reported. Flight BA603 was diverted and passengers disembarked without additional information provided on the situation.
In a separate incident, a United Airlines plane conducted an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport after smoke entered the cabin during the flight to San Francisco. The flight UA949 departed from London and returned to Heathrow after experiencing issues. Emergency services responded to the situation, with police cars and an ambulance observed on the runway.
The Boeing 777-200 aircraft altered its course near Milton Keynes and descended to 15,000ft before heading back to the airport. United Airlines mentioned that the maintenance team would inspect a technical problem before the aircraft could depart again. The plane was escorted to the gate by fire trucks for further evaluation.