An Air Canada flight issued a mid-air emergency shortly after departing from London Heathrow Airport. The flight, designated as AC853 and bound for Toronto, took off at 8:34 am on Saturday, ascending to 34,000 feet over the Atlantic. However, less than an hour into the journey, the crew signaled an emergency by transmitting a Squawk 7700 code to air traffic control.
The aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, promptly altered its course away from the transatlantic route and initiated a controlled return back to Heathrow, with emergency services on standby as a precautionary measure.
Air Canada has not yet disclosed the nature of the emergency, stating that such alerts can encompass various scenarios, including technical malfunctions or medical incidents.
Data tracking reveals that the aircraft commenced its return shortly after reaching cruising altitude around 09:15 BST, descending back towards London thereafter. The plane safely landed on runway 27L at approximately 10:02 BST, leading to a temporary suspension of landings on Heathrow’s south runway.
Upon taxiing to the gate under emergency vehicle escort, passengers were disembarked safely at the terminal. Despite the incident, there were no reported injuries. Air Canada is working on rescheduling the disrupted service, aiming for a replacement departure later in the morning.
Throughout the ordeal, Heathrow’s emergency crews remained on standby, adhering to standard procedures for aircraft declaring a full emergency. The incident is slated for review, and further updates are awaited from the airline and airport authorities.
