US-bound British Airways flight forced to return to London. Here’s everything we know

• A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Chicago was forced to return to London after declaring a general emergency following a “technical issue”.
• The Boeing 777-200 descended rapidly by 28,000 feet within minutes, while passengers told the Mirror that oxygen masks were deployed from the ceiling after the aircraft encountered turbulence.
• The aircraft burned fuel by entering a holding pattern over the Bristol Channel before landing safely back at Heathrow at 5.03pm on Monday.
• The flight was then cancelled, with most customers rebooked to travel on Tuesday.
• A spokesperson for BA said: “The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and the aircraft landed safely after our highly trained pilots returned to Heathrow following a technical issue.”

IN FULL

British Airways sounds emergency alarm after rapid 28,000ft descent to London Heathrow