An Emirates flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was forced to circle in mid-air for 90 minutes before it was grounded after experiencing a fault in mid-air on New Year’s Eve.
The Airbus A380 departed at 2.32pm on Wednesday, 52 minutes late. It was scheduled to land in Dubai at 12.40am on Thursday morning.
Once airborne, an issue with a landing gear door meant it had not shut properly and remained open in mid-air. This was reported by cabin crew, meaning the flight had to return to the London airport.
But the aircraft was significantly over its maximum landing weight so it had to dispose of fuel for more than an hour to ensure a safe arrival. The pilot entered a holding pattern at about 10,000 feet over south-east London for 90 minutes to allow the engines to consume enough fuel to lighten the plane.
Observers on the ground witnessed seeing the plane with its landing gear still visible as it circled over the city.
Once the weight was within safe limits, the flight was cleared for an approach and landed at Heathrow at 4.28pm. All passengers on board will be rebooked on Emirates flights from London Heathrow, a representative for the airline said.
“Emirates flight EK002 departed London Heathrow for Dubai on December 31, 2025, after 1.40pm as scheduled, but returned to LHR shortly after take-off due a technical fault,” the airline said in a statement.
“The flight landed back in LHR and passengers and crew were safely disembarked. All passengers will be rebooked to depart on future Emirates flights from LHR. Emirates apologises for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised.”
