LONDON (BN24) — A British Airways flight bound for Belfast was forced to divert mid-air to Manchester after pilots declared an emergency due to a suspected depressurisation issue, prompting a significant delay and a swift response from emergency services.
Flight BA1416 had departed from London Heathrow on Monday morning when, approximately 30 minutes into the journey, the cockpit issued an emergency “squawk” code signaling a potential crisis on board. The signal, which alerts air traffic control to urgent in-flight problems, was transmitted following indications of a possible cabin depressurisation.
The Airbus A319, which can carry up to 130 passengers, was rerouted to Manchester Airport where it landed safely. Emergency crews were deployed to meet the aircraft on the tarmac. All passengers were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
According to sources familiar with the incident, the suspected depressurisation was traced to a faulty sensor device. Engineers carried out detailed inspections and confirmed that the issue was mechanical in nature, not posing any ongoing threat to passengers or crew.
Technicians responded promptly, but the problem required a full change of aircraft. British Airways arranged a replacement flight, allowing passengers to resume their journey to Belfast later the same day.
The incident resulted in a delay of roughly three hours for the affected travelers, who described the experience as frightening but praised the professionalism of the flight crew and ground responders.
British Airways has not released a formal statement on the emergency but confirmed that passenger safety remains its highest priority.
thesun.co.uk
