LONDON — A British Airways flight bound for Tokyo was forced to make an unexpected diversion to Azerbaijan today after declaring a mid-air emergency over Central Asia.
Flight BA5, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, departed London Heathrow at 1:30 PM local time for what was scheduled to be a 13-hour journey to Tokyo Haneda Airport.
The flight proceeded normally for the first several hours, crossing European airspace and continuing east. However, while cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet over Kazakhstan, the flight crew transmitted a squawk code 7700, the standard international signal indicating a general inflight emergency.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft (registration G-ZBKR) executing a sharp U-turn over Kazakhstan before heading toward the Caucasus region. More than six hours after taking off from London, the Dreamliner touched down safely at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan.
British Airways has confirmed the diversion, citing a “technical issue” as the reason for the unscheduled stop.
The airline has not yet indicated how long the aircraft will remain grounded in Baku or provided details regarding a prospective stopover time. Passengers are currently waiting for updates on whether a replacement aircraft will be dispatched to transport them to Tokyo or if the technical defect can be resolved locally.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details become available.
