A British Airways flight bound for Milan was forced to declare a general emergency (squawk 7700) and return to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) shortly after departure this morning.
The incident involved British Airways Flight 564 (BA564), a scheduled service from London Heathrow, UK, to Milan, Italy. The flight, operated by an Airbus A319 aircraft (registration G-EUPU), had a scheduled duration of 2 hours and 5 minutes.
The emergency was declared today, Sunday, December 14, 2025, at approximately 7:30 GMT. At the time the alert was raised, the aircraft was located over the English Channel, cruising at an altitude of 29,000 feet.
Following the declaration, the pilots diverted the aircraft back toward London, where it landed safely at Heathrow. Due to the incident, the airline subsequently cancelled the flight.
The specific nature of the emergency that caused the crew to issue the distress signal has not yet been disclosed by British Airways. Passengers are expected to be accommodated on alternative flights to Milan.
