A British Airways flight made an emergency landing due to four passengers experiencing “smoke inhalation.” The Airbus A320 was en route from Istanbul to London when it diverted its course. The BA603 flight, carrying 142 passengers, requested to land at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport at 5.50pm local time. It landed at 6.14pm, and medical teams promptly attended to the affected passengers.
Following the landing, Romania’s Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of smoke on board, leading to the evacuation of all passengers. The ministry reported that four individuals were receiving medical assistance for potential smoke inhalation but later clarified that they did not require further medical care.
British Airways emphasized that passenger and crew safety is their top priority, and the diversion was a precautionary measure due to a suspected technical issue. The airline assured that the landing was safe, and passengers disembarked normally. Efforts were underway to minimize disruptions to passengers’ travel plans.
Regarding reports of smoke on board, British Airways stated they had not received any such reports or reports of hospitalizations. Flight BA603 was diverted, as indicated on the airline’s flight status page. However, no additional details were provided.
In a separate incident, a United Airlines plane also made an emergency landing after smoke filled the cabin during the flight to San Francisco. Emergency services responded to Heathrow Airport as flight UA949 returned to London. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft turned back near Milton Keynes after reaching 15,000ft, and maintenance teams needed to assess a technical issue before the plane’s next departure. The plane was escorted to the gate by fire trucks.