Passengers onboard a recent British Airways flight from London to Mexico City found themselves back in the British capital almost nine hours after departure. The flight — operated by one of BA’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners — turned back off the coast of Canada following a reported technical failure with the aircraft’s radio altimeter.

With a block time of almost 12 hours from passengers were right back where they started before being put up in hotels and rebooked by the airline. Given the extended delay, British Airways faces a hefty compensation and duty of care payout to affected customers, which could potentially exceed $200,000.

BA Passengers Have A Nine-Hour Flight To Nowhere

Credit: Flightradar24

As per data from Flightradar24, Flight BA243 from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Mexico City International Airport (MEX) on Wednesday, December 10, departed London at 01:22 PM local time — almost 40 minutes after its scheduled departure time — ahead of an 11-hour-plus nonstop flight to the Mexican capital.

However, just over four hours into the journey, the Boeing 787-9 performed a U-turn and headed back to its departure airport. The aircraft would land at London Heathrow just after 10:00 PM, meaning passengers spent almost nine hours in the air. While diversions aren’t uncommon in commercial flying, the length of time spent flying in this case was unusually long due to BA’s decision to return to its home base.

Simple Flying reached out to British Airways for comment on this incident and received the following response,

“The flight landed safely and customers disembarked normally following reports of a technical issue with the aircraft. We’ve apologised to our customers for the delay, and our teams worked hard to get their journeys back on track.”

Decision Reportedly Due To Altimeter Problems

Credit: Vincenzo Pace

While British Airways did not specify the exact nature of the technical issue experienced by the aircraft, a PYOK report cited the problem as a failure of its radio altimeter. This instrument is used to measure the aircraft’s height above the terrain through radio waves, providing critical data during takeoff and landing.

While it is not always required to safely conduct landings, Mexico City International’s high elevation and complex topography means it is an essential piece of equipment to safely operate in and around the airport. As one of the world’s highest large international airports, MEX sits at an elevation of around 7,300 feet (2,230 meters) above sea level, which leads to significant operational changes and aircraft performance characteristics.

The aircraft involved in this incident is a seven-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner bearing the registration G-ZBKR. The aircraft can accommodate up to 216 passengers across four cabin classes — 8 in First, 42 in Club World, 39 in World Traveller Plus, and 127 in World Traveller. Data from ch-aviation shows that this aircraft has accumulated over 33,000 flight hours and 3,600 flight cycles during its time in service.

Related

What Are Altimeters & Why Are They Important In Aviation?

Altimeters are critical navigation instruments that aircraft use to measure their distance above sea level.

Will BA Be On The Hook For Compensation?

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Although the airline has not confirmed how many passengers were onboard, typical load factors would put it at almost 200 passengers on BA’s four-class 787-9. Given that the passengers were delayed well beyond their scheduled departure and arrival times, the incident raises questions over whether BA is liable for a large compensation payout under UK261 regulations.

The likelihood is that the airline will be liable, as routine technical failures are not considered “extraordinary circumstances” that would otherwise void a compensation payout. For long-haul flights over 3,500 kilometers, airlines have to pay £520 ($695) per passenger if the delay exceeds three hours.

With an estimated 200 passengers on the flight, this would amount to a payout of $139,000, without factoring in the cost of accommodation, food and arranging alternative travel for impacted passengers.