British Airways flight in US makes emergency landing

A British Airways jet on route to the US from London was forced to make an emergency landing when cabin staff became aware of a burning smell, a spokesman for the carrier has confirmed.

BA flight 195 had departed London Heathrow and was on route to Houston when it was forced to divert to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Sunday afternoon. It landed without problems in Chicago at 13.20, local time.

According to the airline’s spokesman, none of the estimated 90 passengers or 15 crew members had been in danger at any time.

British Airways explained that the burning smell was caused by a fault in an in-flight television screen.

The carrier apologised to passengers for the inconvenience, but stressed that crew members followed proper procedure and diverted the flight as a precautionary measure.

Passengers disembarked and were taken into the terminal building, where they were assisted in making onward domestic connections to Houston, the original destination of the British Airways flight.

A spokesman for Chicago’s Fire Department, Will Knight, commented that the safety of the aircraft was secured within an hour of landing.

www.britishairways.com