An Air Transat flight bound for Canada was forced to turn around over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday afternoon following a technical issue.
Flight TS189, scheduled for an eight-hour transatlantic crossing from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), departed France at 1:05 p.m. local time, approximately one hour behind its original schedule.
The flight was operated by an Airbus A321neo, registration C-GOIK. After takeoff, the aircraft routed over Normandy and climbed smoothly to an initial cruising altitude of 30,000 feet. Flight tracking data shows the jet later stepped up to 32,000 feet as it passed south of Ireland.
However, a little over two hours into the flight, the flight crew identified a technical malfunction on board. Deciding against pushing forward across the ocean, the pilots initiated a U-turn over the Atlantic to return to France.
To safely land, the crew descended the aircraft to 23,000 feet on the return leg, a standard operational procedure designed to increase aerodynamic drag and burn off fuel, lowering the overall aircraft weight to meet safe maximum landing weight limits.
The aircraft is currently tracked heading back toward Paris, with an expected touchdown at Charles de Gaulle Airport around 6:00 p.m. local time. Ground crews and airline representatives are preparing to meet the aircraft upon arrival to assess the technical issue and assist passengers with rebooking.
UPDATE 18:00 CEST
Touch down on runway 27L.
