London-bound flight makes emergency landing in Bengaluru

A London-bound Virgin Atlantic flight carrying 270 passengers was forced to make an “emergency landing” at the Kempegowda International Airport here on Sunday after developing a technical glitch shortly after take-off, sources at Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates KIAB, said.

The flight took off from KIAB at around 8:20 am but reportedly developed a technical issue soon after departure, prompting the crew to circle the aircraft near Tumakuru for more than half an hour before returning to Bengaluru.

All passengers on board are safe, sources at BIAL said, adding that the aircraft was brought back to KIAB as a safety precaution and made an emergency landing.

The exact nature of the technical problem was not immediately known. Authorities are looking into the cause of the incident.

A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said the VS317 flight from Bengaluru to London Heathrow returned to Bengaluru shortly after departure due to a technical issue. “The aircraft landed safely as a precaution, and the flight was subsequently cancelled,” he said in a statement. The airline said the safety and security of its customers and crew are always its top priority.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers. Our teams are supporting those affected and are working hard to rebook them onto alternative services as quickly as possible,” the company said.