BA Gatwick-Faro flight declares emergency over reported cracked window and turns back

Mixed · 2British Airways flight BA2660 from London Gatwick to Faro in Portugal declared a mid-air emergency on the morning of Tuesday 13 October and turned back to Gatwick. 1 2 Mixed · 2The Airbus A321 took off at about 9am, and the crew issued the emergency about an hour into the flight; the Express says this was a squawk 7700 signal to air traffic control. 1 2 Left · 1Metro reports that tracking websites showed the aircraft making a U-turn shortly after passing Bretagne, and that Flightradar24 showed it heading back to Gatwick. 1

Mixed · 2The reason given is a cracked passenger window. Metro describes the reports as unconfirmed, and the Express calls the crack alleged. 1 2 Left · 1The aviation tracking accounts AirNav Radar and AirLive are the source of the damage reports. AirNav Radar said on X that a passenger window was cracked and the flight deck was going through checks. AirLive said the pilots saw structural damage to a window panel on the right side of the aircraft. 1 Right · 1According to the Express, citing AirLive, the problem was near row 3R and cabin pressure was maintained. It adds that emergency ground crews at Gatwick were alerted to meet the aircraft as a precaution. 2

Mixed · 2Aircraft registration details cited by Metro show the plane is 22 years old with 218 seats. The Express gives its registration as G-EUXD. Metro says the flight was operated by BA EuroFlyer. 1 2 Right · 1The Express explains that cabin windows have several layers, including a structural outer glass layer and an inner scratch-pane. It says AirLive described the standard procedure as an immediate turn-around and descent to a lower altitude to reduce the risk of pressure loss or further glass degradation. 2 Mixed · 2Metro said it had contacted British Airways for comment, and the Express carries no airline statement; the later reports from the Evening Standard, Daily Mail and Daily Mirror quote a British Airways spokesperson, who said the aircraft diverted after a minor technical issue and landed safely at Gatwick. 1 3

Mixed · 2The airline said it had apologised to customers for the delay and that its teams were working to get their travel plans back on track. The spokesperson did not confirm or mention a cracked window. 4 5 Right · 3The Evening Standard, GB News, Daily Mail and Daily Mirror all say the cause has not been confirmed; GB News adds that the Airbus is a A321-231 about 22 years old, and the Evening Standard said it had contacted Gatwick for comment. The Daily Mail also recalled a Ryanair incident on 10 July in which a passenger was pulled towards a broken window, which is not linked to this flight. 3 4 6