Mauritius-bound British Airways flies back to Gatwick after ‘technical issue’

After hours in the air, Mauritius-bound travellers’s dream of warm weather dashed when their British Airways flight landed back at Gatwick.

According to Metro newspaper, the airline blamed a ‘technical issue’ for the decision to fly 2,200 miles back to Britain early Wednesday after its Boeing 777 developed problems over Egypt.

The plane – on a trip scheduled to take 12 hours – had flown over France, Switzerland, Italy and the Mediterranean before turning at midnight and landing at 4.45am.

While the flight was rescheduled to depart on Wednesday night, the cancellation also left hundreds of returning passengers stranded for an extra day in Mauritius.

In an email about the delay cited by The Metro, British Airways apologised for the inconvenience and said they could claim “reasonable costs for hotel accommodation, local transportation and any essential items you may require overnight”.

Passengers are also entitled to claim £520 each under European air passenger compensation regulations.

Source: Metro UK