British Airways is facing a potential compensation bill of up to £250,000 following a ground handling incident at London Heathrow Airport. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was preparing to operate flight BA299 to Chicago, sustained minor damage when it sank onto a platform during refuelling, causing the equipment to become jammed beneath the fuselage.
Flight cancellations and passenger compensation
The mishap led to the cancellation of both the outbound flight BA299 and the inbound service BA298 from Chicago. Assuming approximately 240 passengers per flight claimed the full £520 compensation under UK and EU regulations, the total payout could reach £250,000. Affected passengers were provided with hotel accommodation and are being rebooked on alternative flights.
British Airways apologises
A spokesperson for British Airways apologised for the disruption, stating: "We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to our customers. Our team is working hard to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible." The incident is under investigation, and the damaged aircraft has been taken out of service for repairs.
