A Virgin Atlantic flight bound for Los Angeles declared a mid-air emergency over Scotland on Sunday evening.
Flight VS23 from London Heathrow, operating on a Boeing 787 aircraft, declared a 'Squawk 7700' while flying over the Hebrides.
Footage from flight radar app FlightRadar24 showed the plane performing a u-turn over North Uist at 34,000 feet before diverting back to Heathrow.
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Virgin Atlantic confirmed that the aircraft returned to Heathrow "as a precautionary measure" as a result of a "minor technical issue".
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: "As a precautionary measure, flight VS23 from London Heathrow to Los Angeles operating on a Boeing 787 aircraft returned to Heathrow on Sunday 17 September due to a minor technical issue.
Virgin Atlantic flight #VS23 from London Heathrow (LHR) to Los Angeles (LAX) is declaring an emergency: https://t.co/vN0oELCqCC ✈️ pic.twitter.com/3frQZWrjAD
— RadarBox (@RadarBoxCom) September 17, 2023
"The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our priority and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. We will ensure our customers can complete their travel plans and will keep them updated directly.”
The Herald understands that the flight was cancelled and passengers were provided with overnight hotel accommodation.
Passengers are due to travel today (Monday) to Los Angeles on alternative services.
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