An Emirates Airlines Airbus A380 superjumbo experienced a mid-air malfunction on New Year's Eve, forcing it to abandon its journey to Dubai and circle above London for over an hour before making a safe return to Heathrow Airport.
Technical Fault Triggers Emergency Procedure
The flight, EK002, had departed from Heathrow's runway at 14:32 GMT on 31 December 2025, already running 52 minutes behind its scheduled departure time of 13:40. Its intended arrival in Dubai was 00:40 local time on New Year's Day.
Shortly after becoming airborne, the flight crew identified a technical issue with one of the aircraft's landing gear doors. The doors remained in an open position as the massive double-decker jet continued its climb away from London.
The Fuel-Burning Hold Over Orpington
Faced with this problem, the pilots faced a significant safety challenge. The aircraft was substantially above its Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) for what was planned as a seven-hour journey. A landing at this weight risked causing structural stress to the airframe.
To resolve this, the crew entered a standardised holding pattern—a racetrack-shaped flight path—near Orpington in Kent, to the south-east of London. For approximately 90 minutes, the A380 circled at 10,000 feet, burning off fuel to reduce its weight to within safe landing limits.
Safe Return and Passenger Disruption
After successfully lightening the aircraft, the flight was cleared for its approach back to Heathrow. It touched down safely at 16:28 GMT, nearly two hours after its initial departure.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the incident: "Emirates flight EK002... returned to LHR shortly after take-off due to a technical fault. The flight landed back in LHR and passengers and crew were safely disembarked."
The airline stated that all affected passengers would be rebooked onto future flights, apologising for the inconvenience while emphasising that passenger and crew safety is "of utmost importance and will not be compromised."
Travel expert Simon Calder noted on X that the 500 passengers on board "got no further than Maidstone in Kent" before the decision to turn back was made. The disruption meant many faced the prospect of seeing in the New Year from airport hotels around Heathrow, with holiday plans left in disarray.
