More than 500 passengers on an Emirates flight to Dubai faced a dramatic New Year’s Eve after their Airbus A380 was forced to return to Heathrow shortly after takeoff. The colossal plane barely cleared Maidstone, Kent, before pilots spotted a landing gear problem and decided to head back.
Circling Over London: Two Hours in the Air
The double-decker jumbo jet left Heathrow at 2:32pm, nearly an hour late. Soon after, the flight crew reported a landing gear door malfunction. To shed weight for a safe landing, the plane was forced to circle at 10,000 feet over Orpington, southeast London, for almost two hours, burning off excess fuel.
The Airbus maintained a holding pattern, a tight racetrack flight path, while awaiting clearance to land back at Heathrow. It finally touched down safely at 4:28pm—around two hours after takeoff.
Passengers Left Stranded, Flights Delayed
The flight was originally scheduled to arrive in Dubai at 12:40am. But with the technical fault, many travellers now face disrupted holiday plans, possibly ringing in the New Year stranded near Heathrow.
Travel expert Simon Calder confirmed: “500 Emirates passengers who took off from Heathrow for Dubai this afternoon got no further than Maidstone in Kent before the pilots decided to turn back due to a landing gear problem. The Airbus A380 SuperJumbo circled over Orpington for 2 hours to burn off fuel and landed safely.”
Emirates Responds to Safety Incident
An Emirates spokesperson said:
“Emirates flight EK002 departed London Heathrow for Dubai on 31 December 2025, but returned shortly after take-off due to a technical fault. The flight landed safely at Heathrow and passengers and crew were disembarked without incident. All passengers will be rebooked on future flights. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority.”
Despite the scare, no injuries were reported and the aircraft remained under strict safety protocols throughout the ordeal.
