British Airways flight returns to Gatwick after window alert
Flight BA2660 turned back from its route to Faro after the crew reported a technical problem.
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A British Airways flight from London Gatwick to Faro returned to its departure airport on Tuesday after a reported problem involving a passenger window. The airline said the aircraft landed safely and described the cause as a minor technical issue.
Flight BA2660 left Gatwick at about 09:06 on Tuesday, bound for Faro in Portugal. Around an hour into the journey, the Airbus A321 turned back over north-western France and landed at Gatwick after the crew declared a general emergency.
British Airways has not confirmed that a window was cracked. Its statement said only that the aircraft had diverted because of a minor technical issue, landed safely and delayed passengers’ journeys. The airline said it was working to rearrange their travel plans.
The report of a cracked passenger window came from AirNav Radar, a flight-tracking service, which said on X that the crew was carrying out checks. Aviation outlet AIRLIVE separately reported possible damage to a window panel on the right-hand side of the aircraft.
Flight-tracking information reviewed by The Independent showed the aircraft making a U-turn shortly after passing Brittany. The flight had been scheduled to take roughly two hours, so the return about an hour after departure was consistent with the reported route and timing.
Emergency crews were waiting at Gatwick when the aircraft arrived, according to reports. That is a precautionary response to an aircraft returning after declaring an emergency and does not, by itself, establish that passengers or crew were injured or that the aircraft lost cabin pressure.
The aircraft is expected to be inspected to establish the extent and cause of the technical problem. Until British Airways or investigators publish more information, the exact nature of the reported window damage remains unconfirmed.
The incident caused disruption on a route serving the Algarve, but the available reports gave no indication of a wider Gatwick closure. The airline’s confirmed account is limited to a safe return after a technical issue; the more specific account of a cracked window comes from flight-tracking and aviation sources.
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The article clearly distinguishes British Airways’ confirmed statement from reports about a cracked window. The flight number, route, return and timing are supported by multiple public reports.
- confirmed BA2660 departed Gatwick for Faro on 13 October 2026. — The Independent and AIRLIVE identify the flight, route and date. source
- confirmed The aircraft turned back and landed safely at Gatwick. — British Airways’ statement, quoted by LBC and The Independent. source
- confirmed British Airways described the cause as a minor technical issue. — Directly supported by the airline statement quoted in the reports. source
- confirmed AirNav Radar reported a cracked passenger window. — The reports reproduce the tracking service’s public post; the article attributes the claim rather than presenting it as an airline finding. source
- confirmed Emergency crews met the aircraft at Gatwick. — Reported by LBC and The Independent. source
- confirmed The aircraft was expected to be inspected. — LBC reports that inspection was expected to establish the extent and cause of the damage. source
Editor's note
British Airways confirms a safe return after a minor technical issue. The reported cracked window and its location remain attributed reports, not confirmed airline findings.Sources
More on this in other media
- ITV News — „british airways”
- BBC News — „british airways”
- The Guardian — „british airways”