'Technical issue' forces London-bound BA flight to return to Cape Town

A British Airways passenger flight bound for London was forced, about two hours into the journey, to return to Cape Town due to a “technical issue” on Wednesday night.

Cape Town safety and security MMC JP Smith said the Airbus A350 “radioed in with an emergency due to smoke filling the cockpit. The pilots swiftly turned [BA58] around and headed back to Cape Town, where the airport's emergency response teams were ready and waiting.

“Fire and rescue were called in to support the 'phase 2 emergency response,' with four of our major pumps on standby.

“Fortunately the pilots were able to shut down the engines and fuel supply after landing on the runway, and the plane was escorted to a parking area where passengers waited to disembark safely,” said Smith.

British Airways responded to a query on X on why the flight returned to Cape Town at low altitude. “It looks like that returned to the airport due to a technical issue. The team will be able to assist you with the next steps but if you need assistance just let us know,” answered the airline.

TimesLIVE has reached out to British Airways and Airports Company South Africa for comment.

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