A British Airways flight conducted an emergency landing due to four passengers experiencing “smoke inhalation.” The Airbus A320, traveling from Istanbul to London, diverted its route during the afternoon. The BA603 flight, carrying 142 passengers, requested to land at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport at 5:50 pm local time. It successfully landed at 6:14 pm, and medical teams promptly attended to the affected individuals.
Following the landing, Romania’s Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of smoke on board, leading to the evacuation of all passengers. The ministry reported that four individuals showed signs of smoke exposure but did not require medical treatment.
British Airways emphasized that customer and crew safety is their top priority, attributing the diversion to a suspected technical issue. The aircraft landed safely, and passengers disembarked without incident. Efforts were made to minimize disruption to passengers’ travel plans.
Contrary to claims of smoke onboard and hospitalizations, British Airways stated they had not received such reports. Flight BA603 was diverted, and the airline apologized for the inconvenience, working to facilitate passengers’ onward journeys swiftly.
Simultaneously, a United Airlines plane also made an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport after purported smoke filled the cabin mid-flight. Flight UA949, en route to San Francisco, returned to Heathrow Airport on July 30, prompting emergency services’ response. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200, descended near Milton Keynes before being escorted back to the gate for technical evaluation by maintenance teams.