British Airways flight suffers double diversion on way to London after medical emergency
British Airways flight BA252 departed from Grand Cayman Island at 6.21pm EST on Tuesday 8 April for its usual one-hour leg to the Bahamian capital, Nassau, which then took off again for the longer eight-hour leg to London.
The flight was going as planned flying over the Atlantic Ocean when it ended up being diverted to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, after a passenger experienced a medical issue.
After a five-hour journey, the flight landed in Gander, however, the time now was running short on the legally permitted number of hours the crew could operate the flight.
A decision was then made for the Boeing 777 to land at Keflavik International Airport in Iceland so that a new crew could operate the aircraft to London safely.
After just under a three-hour flight from Gander to Reykjavik, passengers then finally completed their journey with a two hours and 20 minutes flight to the UK capital, landing in London at 10.38pm BST on 9 April, data from FlightRadar24 shows.
The journey from Nassau to London took 11 hours more than expected due to both diversions, after leaving the Bahamas at 10.24pm EDT (3.24am BST) on 8 April and landing in London 19 hours later.
For those journeying all the way from Grand Cayman to London, their flight time would have stretched even longer, having departed at 6.21pm EST (12.21am BST), meaning the total journey would have been around 22 hours.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, said: 'Clearly pilots will always make the optimum choice for the health of the passengers. But this can trigger difficult consequences for the remaining passengers and crew – as well as tens of thousands of pounds in costs for the airline.
'The decision to deploy a new crew to Iceland was evidently chosen by British Airways as the least-bad option. I presume other possibilities, such as staying on the ground at Gander and resting the crew there, were also considered but dismissed.
'Anecdotally, medical diversions are happening more frequently – which is what one would expect as the flying population skews older.
'Travellers who want to minimise the risk of being on a plane that has a medical diversion should opt for the lowest-capacity aircraft, such as the JetBlue narrow-bodied jets between the US and UK.
'Bluntly: the fewer fellow passengers on the aircraft, the lower the chances of one of them falling seriously ill.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Why does British Airways want to charge £652 for switching one domestic flight?
Many transatlantic flights overfly the Outer Hebrides; my British Airways flight last week from London to Denver did just that. But for the residents of Scotland's wonderful Western Isles, reaching America proves a palaver. Dolina MacLeod and her husband face a long journey in October when they travel from the Outer Hebrides to visit their daughter in New York. 'We booked some time ago on British Airways from Edinburgh to New York via London Heathrow, both ways,' she says. 'Since then, flight schedules have updated.' Many people like to book flights months ahead. You have a fair chance of getting a better fare. But one downside is that airlines may tweak their schedules. A one-hour shift earlier or later is not much of a problem for straightforward point-to-point flights. But for connecting flights, it can mean an extended wait and a much longer journey overall. 'I enquired with British Airways to change the last leg of our journey – from Heathrow to Edinburgh – to an Inverness flight,' says Ms MacLeod. 'This provides easier transportation links to return home to the Outer Hebrides.' The extra distance is 112 miles. The extra cost? 'I was incredibly shocked to be quoted £652 as the charge to make this change,' she says. 'I accept that there will always be amendment charges but the charges being quoted are more than the original fare for the entire trip from Edinburgh to NYC and back for one person.' Ms MacLeod also spotted that the very Heathrow-Inverness flight she wished to fly on is being sold for just £56 one way, including a checked bag. So how could this bizarre state of affairs come about: that so small an amendment could trigger such a surge in cost? And is there anything to stop the couple from simply buying London-Inverness tickets? Let me explain. Passengers rationally want to book at the lowest possible fare. Airlines are prepared to sell cheap tickets – but always with strings attached. If changes are permitted at all, they will come with an amendment fee plus any increase when the fare is recalculated. Edinburgh-London-New York and back, booked months ahead, is a different beast from an outbound flight to JFK from the Scottish capital, but returning to Inverness, two months out. Computer doesn't say 'no', but it does say '£652'. Unreasonable? It might appear so, but the dark art of airline revenue management makes that sort of figure inevitable. Connecting flights such as Ms MacLeod's, going New York-London-Edinburgh tend to be cheaper than non-stop JFK-Heathrow tickets, because other airlines are offering enticingly priced routings via Dublin, Reykjavik or Amsterdam. So what's to stop them from forfeiting the Heathrow-Edinburgh leg and just buying those new flights? Plenty. First, as soon as you 'no-show' for a segment of a multi-stop journey, you are technically in breach of contract and the airline could pursue you for the difference in cost between what you paid for and what you actually flew. Ending the journey at Heathrow without taking the onward flight could easily trigger an additional fare of hundreds of pounds. In practice, carriers do not chase passengers for the difference in fare unless there is clear evidence of repeated 'tariff abuse' – which, of course, does not apply to the Hebridean couple. I confess I once booked an Orlando-Manchester-Dublin ticket with no intention of using the leg to the Irish capital, thereby saving £500. I self-justified this episode of tariff abuse on the grounds that Virgin Atlantic would not have got my business at the price it wanted to charge for the non-stop flight from Florida alone. On that premeditated occasion, I made sure to carry cabin baggage only. If your ticket says Dublin via Manchester, that is where your checked luggage will be going. In my experience, airlines will not countenance requests for your bag to be checked for only part of the journey. Some might take advantage of BA's mighty cabin baggage allowance – two bags weighing up to 23kg each. But I fear Ms MacLeod and her husband will simply need to stick with the flight to Edinburgh, and perhaps vow to book closer to departure next time. Meanwhile, they can gaze at all the transatlantic traffic six miles overhead. Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Which airlines are most likely to LOSE your baggage
From missed transfers to delayed flights, there's plenty that can go wrong when travelling abroad. But one major problem is lost baggage, which is easily every tourist's nightmare. Sun cream, medications, an entire holiday wardrobe, they're all essential items that might be kept in luggage. When it all goes missing and the carousel of cases winds by empty, it's sometimes enough to ruin a trip. Analysis of Trustpilot reviews mentioning lost baggage and media reports about different airlines revealed which companies lose luggage the most. The results were surprising, with budget airlines like Ryanair and Jet2 coming out the best. While the company with the highest mishandling rates was British Airways. According to the research, around 21 bags per 1,000 passengers are mishandled by the premium airline - though the British flag carrier disagrees with the methodology. The analysis - conducted by The Horse's Mouth - calculated a 2.10% chance of British Airways losing a passenger's bag. While TUI came second, with six bags mishandled per 1,000 passengers and a 0.6% chance. This is thought to be average in the industry. Wizzair and EasyJet followed, with 5 and 2.8 bags per 1,000 travellers respectively. Passengers jetting off with Virgin Atlantic have a 0.20% chance of losing their baggage. Jet2 performed second best, with 1.5 bags mishandled per 1,000 customers, and a 0.15% possibility of losing luggage. While budget airline Ryanair came out at the very top. Only 1.2 cases are lost by the airline per 1,000 passengers, and travellers face a 0.12% chance of their bag being mishandled by them. A British Airways spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'These claims have no statistical credibility and should be treated with a high degree of scepticism. 'We take our customers' trust and the responsibility of delivering their bags very seriously. 'Once again, this type of poorly researched nonsense diminishes the hard work of colleagues within the industry.' Previously, it was revealed the surprising continent travellers were most likely to lose their luggage. According to aviation technology specialist Sita, 33.4 million bags were mishandled in 2024, down from 33.8 million the previous year. Passengers are twice as likely to experience luggage issues in Europe than in other parts of the world, despite the region reducing its mishandling rate to 12.3 bags per 1,000 passengers, recovering from 15.7 in 2022. The study revealed a notable cause: Europe's air transport industry handled record passenger volumes in 2024, with airports and airlines managing soaring baggage loads.
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Brits warned of easy mistake that makes Spanish locals think you're rude
A Spanish expert has offered some advice for Brits abroad (Image: Getty ) The overly polite Brits may actually be annoying Spaniards with excessive manners. While Brits may now be in a battle with the Japanese for the title of world's most polite people, the origin of modern manners - or etiquette - as we know them has roots in France. "The word etiquette to which we so often refer actually originates from the French estiquette –' to attach or stick'. Indeed, the modern understanding of the word can be linked to the Court of the French King Louis XIV, who used small placards called etiquettes , as a reminder to courtiers of accepted 'house rules' such as not walking through certain areas of the palace gardens," writes Historic UK. This intervention comes after British passport holders were urged to do one important thing before October 12. READ MORE: British Airways tourist 'vomited on family and spat wine at them' on Heathrow flight READ MORE: Lesser-known national park has turquoise waters, dramatic cliffs and no crowds Navigating Spanish culture can be tricky (Image: SWNS) Over the years, British society has followed in Louis' wake and taken on politeness as something of a national pastime. However, according to one expert, such well-intentioned politeness often backfires spectacularly when visiting Spain. What might sound respectful in English can actually come across as confusing, overly complicated, or even sarcastic when translated into Spanish. The problem creates uncomfortable situations that could have easily been avoided. According to James Smith from Learn Spanish with James , who has spent over a decade teaching Spanish and living across Spain, Argentina, and Costa Rica, the issue stems from a fundamental cultural misunderstanding. 'British tourists think they're being respectful by using elaborate politeness, but Spanish culture values directness. What we consider courteous can actually make Spanish speakers uncomfortable because it sounds unnatural and forced," he explained. James reveals why British-style politeness creates problems abroad and shares the simple phrases that actually work. Spanish culture operates on a completely different politeness system from Britain. While Brits soften requests with phrases like 'I'm terribly sorry to bother you' or 'Would it be at all possible', Spanish speakers prefer clear, direct communication. 'In Spain, being direct is respectful, not rude. When you ask for something clearly and simply, you're showing consideration for the other person's time. But when British tourists translate their elaborate politeness word-for-word, it creates confusion," James said. The disconnect goes deeper than language. Spanish politeness exists, but it's expressed through tone, body language, and simple courtesies like 'por favour' and 'gracias' rather than lengthy verbal gymnastics. 'I've watched British tourists tie themselves in knots trying to be polite, and the Spanish person just looks bewildered. They're wondering why this person is apologising so much for a simple request," James continued. Common British phrases become linguistic disasters when directly translated. 'Sorry to bother you, but would you mind if I asked where the toilet is?' becomes an awkward mouthful that sounds theatrical to Spanish ears. James continued: 'The phrase 'would you mind' doesn't really exist in Spanish the way we use it. You end up with these clunky translations that make you sound like you're performing Shakespeare in a café.' Another frequent mistake involves over-apologising. British tourists often begin every interaction with 'I'm terribly sorry' or some variation of it, which translates to unnecessarily dramatic apologies that confuse Spanish speakers. James added: 'Spanish people start wondering what you've done wrong when you apologise before asking a simple question. They're thinking 'Why is this person so sorry about wanting directions?'' James offers some tips on how to interact properly in certain social situations when you're in Spain: Ordering food and drinks British way: 'Would it be possible to have a coffee, if that's not too much trouble?' Spanish way: 'Un café, por favour' (A coffee, please) Asking for directions British way: 'Sorry to bother you, but would you mind telling me where the station is?' Spanish way: '¿Dónde está la estación?' (Where is the station?) Getting someone's attention British way: 'Excuse me, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt…' Spanish way: 'Disculpe' (Excuse me) Making requests in shops British way: 'Would you mind if I had a look at that, please?' Spanish way: 'Ese, por favour' (That one, please) - while pointing to the item
