A British Airways flight from London to Port Louis, Mauritius, was forced to return to London Gatwick after declaring an emergency mid-flight. Flight #BA2065, a Boeing 777-200ER, departed from London Gatwick on time at 9pm but had to turn around approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes into the journey.
While cruising at 33,000 feet over Germany, the flight crew declared an emergency, squawking 7700, which signals a general emergency. The aircraft then made a U-turn over Austria and headed back to London Gatwick. The cause of the emergency was a chemical leak detected in the cargo hold.
Passengers have been assured that their safety is the airline’s top priority.