An Air Canada flight bound for Delhi was forced to make an unscheduled landing at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) early Tuesday morning.
LONDON – Air Canada flight AC48 departed Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) at 8:22 pm on Monday, March 23. The long-haul service, operated by a Boeing 777-200LR (Registration: C-FIUF), was over Scotland and cruising at 34,000 feet when the situation developed.
According to flight tracking data, the aircraft abruptly changed course toward the south while crossing Scottish airspace. Shortly after, the flight crew transmitted a squawk 7700, the international transponder code signaling a general emergency.
Arrival at Heathrow
The aircraft descended rapidly toward London, touching down safely on Runway 27R at Heathrow at 06:23 am local time. The flight had been in the air for approximately six hours—nearly the halfway point of its scheduled journey to India—when it reached the gate.
Airline Response and Next Steps
Air Canada has confirmed the diversion to London. In a statement, the airline indicated that the stop was necessary to address the onboard emergency, though they did not specify if the cause was mechanical or medical.
Updates
Efforts to minimize the delay for the hundreds of passengers on board are already underway:
- Current Status: The aircraft is on the ground at LHR for inspection and refueling.
- Resumption: A new departure time has been scheduled for 07:10 am local time.
- Destination: The flight is expected to continue its journey to Delhi (DEL) shortly after the brief stopover.
- New departure time: 07:30 am.
- New departure time: 08:15 am.
- The flight is now cancelled due to a problem with the aircraft. The return flight AC49 from Delhi to Toronto is also cancelled.
